Bonaire - Trip Report (6/12-6/21/09)

[KY_BOB]

Thanks for posting. Bummer losing the camera like that!
Nice teaser....32 days for us yet!

ditto on all points except it's only 18 days for me.

 

[gypsyjim]

Spoil sport! Go ahead, make me jealous!

 

[driftin' by]

Grouper: I know, I know. But it really is tasty and I imagine the local fisherman are going to catch all of it they can whether the tourists eat it or not. I'll try to resist temptation in the future. I also feel really guilty when I eat calamari just because the squid are so neat underwater - I have a little trouble looking them in the eye for a few days.

Since diving, I've drastically changed my seafood eating habits and always consult my Seafood Watch card before ordering. Flounder was the biggest shocker for me... such a beautiful fish. Not fueling the fire and chastising anyone but I read that eating grouper is like eating your dog as they're very intelligent and interactively playful with divers.

 

[KY_BOB]

I love to eat any and all seafood. You guys (and becoming a diver) are starting to make me feel bad about eating the stuff that I enjoy.

 

[DiverVince]

Not fueling the fire and chastising anyone but I read that eating grouper is like eating your dog as they're very intelligent and interactively playful with divers.

This is not a myth. I'll never forget the friendly guy who followed us around like my Rhodesian Ridgeback on a dive off of Grand Cayman. And, on top of that it's the only fish that can eat the Lionfish which is invading the entire Caribe. The grouper is on the endangered species list.
Do NOT eat Grouper..If you do, I sincerely hope you feel guilty.
There are many other fish to eat that are just as tastey.

And talk about beauty! Check out the dolphin! (aka mahi mahi or dorado).

 

[tiggrr]

Touch the Sea with Dee Scarr: the town pier is closed to diving so she moved a few blocks down the seashore, but is still offering the same great experience. I'm generally not a fan of feeding the sealife, but she seems to do it in a responsible way and offers some great education to go along with it.

All in all a great trip - we will definitely be back!

Sorry to hear about your camera. I flooded mine the first dive I took it on and it hurt. Hurt bad.

I really wanted to take that class with Dee as well but, could not find any information on it anywhere. Can you give us a link or phone to contact her for our next trip??

Anything else you can tell us about her class??

 

[DiveMaven]

We dove Town Pier last year as a daytime dive (fabulous!) and didn't know before hand that Dee did her "touch the sea" dives there. We were stunned, surprised, and totally excited when the marine creatures wanted to interact with us, getting very up close and personal. The spotted snake eel just about had me pee my wetsuit when he rubbed on me, but the 2 flounders that I "played" with for about 15 minutes were fantastic.

Overall though, we found the marine life on Bonaire to be relatively unafraid of divers. I'll never forget the French Angelfish "posing" 3' away for my husband to take a picture on our first day of diving. For me that's just one of the things that makes diving Bonaire so special.

 

[billmosel]

Ok all, but my trip to Bonaire does not start until Oct. so don't rub it in..............yet

 

[Dive California]

D.O.H. Thanks for the restaurant report...always nice to get this...I agree the food in Bonaire is great....It too always impresses me that they can do this quality in the middle of nowhere.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Nice write up. I have to wait until October.