Macro shooting in Bonaire

[mikewilkns]

We are headed for Bonàire July 20-27 and staying at Buddy Dive. Looking for some sites to shoot seahorses, nudis, blenny, and other interesting stuff. Last time got some great pics of squid at Andrea I. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Doctorfish]

The house reef at Buddy dive is pretty darn good. We tend to head out to different sites in the AM and then do PM and night dives at Buddy's reef. Never gets boring.
I'm also partial to the Salt Pier and Something Special. Lots of critters in the rubble. If you go out boat diving, Murphin seems to know where every seahorse and frogfish lives.

 

[T.C.]

Step one: Enter Ocean in Bonaire.
Step two: Take pictures.

Repeat as needed-It's that simple. Sarcasm aside, I found many of these critters on each dive site. Take your time, and you'll find these on most sites.

 

[DiveMaven]

It's impossible to know what will be at any given site on any given day. We'll be there for 2 weeks before you arrive, but even if I post what we saw and where, I'm not entirely sure it would help you much.

 

[tracydr]

We saw squid at Oil slick once bu I do agree its a crap shoot.

 

[Headers]

Frog fish do seem to say in a certain area for a period of time. last time I was there I wanted to find a frog fish but the dive masters said they had all gone some what deeper to cooler water. One DM said that he had been told of one at invisibles, go to the buoy, turn left, keep your depth at about 40ft. Look for him around a big purple tube sponge. He was there. He was kind of an ugly khaki green but he honest was right where I was told to look for him. I think seahorses and frog fish to hang around smaller areas for extended periods of time, however, they may not always be visible (under a rock, behind a coral head etc.

Part of the fun of diving for me is never knowing what you're going to find.

 

[KeithG]

Step one: Enter Ocean in Bonaire.
Step two: Take pictures.

Repeat as needed-It's that simple. Sarcasm aside, I found many of these critters on each dive site. Take your time, and you'll find these on most sites.

Agreed!
and generally the reverse is also true. Often the creature that we have been given directions to is no longer there - or at least not visible to us.

And the sea horses that we saw on multiple dives "were not there" when other divers tried to follow our directions.

I found the best approach is to go slow and find your own critters. There are lots of them down there.

 

[mbs]

Ask around the dive shop and they will often give you an idea where you can find some of those... Folks are getting a little gun shy posting online. You don't want hundreds of folks trampling the poor little guys! A boat dive or hiring a DM for a shore dive will probably work as well...

 

[mikewilkns]

Thanks all who posted, I think hiring a dive guide for ashore dive makes sense. Is the Salt pier open to diving, last trip it was off limits

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[DiveMaven]

As I understand it, you cannot park in Cargill's parking lot right next to the pier, but as long as a boat isn't docked at the pier, you can park and enter the water nearby and dive the pier.