Travel, and diving with friends has been a huge part of Day’s and my relationship, and there is no place that stirs up as many memories as Bonaire.

   Over the last twenty years, Day and I have been to Bonaire six or seven times, maybe more. We have gone with large groups, small groups, we’ve gone with friends and strangers, some of whom we remain friends with today, many of whom we have lost touch with over the years. The faces and memories I will never forget though. I am excited to be in Bonaire again. It’s been ten years since we have last been here, and twenty since we’ve first been here, and I can’t wait to land!

   Flamingo Airport is exactly as I remember it, I love it! You just know it’s going to be great with a name like Flamingo Airport.

   From the airport, we pick up our rental vehicles, two small pickup trucks (they no longer have the tiny vans they had so many years ago) and head towards Kralendijk, the larger of the two towns in Bonaire.

   Bonaire is a tiny island, about 24 miles long, 4-5 miles wide, and unless you are a windsurfer or a scuba diver, there is little to do here. Like I said, there are just two small towns here, Kralendijk  and Rincon, a small national park, a casino, Lac Bay, and a nudist resort, that’s about it. If you are a diver though, Bonaire is spectacular (you’ll see).

   In a blink of an eye, you’re through Kralendijk, and Captain Don’s Habitat, (where we are staying) is a mile or so up on the left.

   As soon as we got there, I recognized many faces, including Sherman and Wilco (amazingly I remembered their names).

   Little has changed at Captain Don’s and Bonaire for that matter. Many of the restaurants are the same, buildings that were abandoned construction sites, are still abandoned. It seems the only thing that has changed, is me. Older, fatter (it was a challenge to squeeze my fat ass in my old wetsuit) and with two back surgeries, diving was more difficult than I remember and bedtime is now eight or nine (no more drinking at the bar until closing).

   The island of Bonaire is part of the Leeward Antilles and the ABC Islands; Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, located less than 100 miles north of Venezuela. The island is surrounded by a magnificent coral reef that is now a protected marine sanctuary, which means no fishing, no dropping anchor, no dive gloves (they don’t want you touching anything) and no taking anything from the reef, like shells or sand. The topography is very similar around the island, a sandy bottom 30-50ft. out, where the reef begins. The reef is a wall that starts in about 30 feet of water and goes 100 to 200 feet deep, or more. There are over 60 dive sites, most of which are accessible by shore, making Bonaire one of the easiest places to dive. Load tanks in the back of the pickup, drive the coastal road, the dive sites are marked by a yellow rock with the name of the dive site painted in black, and dive, whenever and wherever you want. 

   Our first dive was off the pier at Captain Don’s, don’t be a snob, the house reef at Captain Don’s Habitat is fantastic. A wall that drops to about 100 feet, covered in corals, large tarpon everywhere, and a cool little wreck off to the left, home to a big Green Moray, who is still there 20 years later! House reefs are great to make sure your gear is working, your weight is correct, great for morning dives if you’re an early riser and night dives if you can’t sleep. Once you’ve gotten your feet wet, so to speak, it’s time to head out and explore the sixty plus dives sites around the island.

   We dove eight different sites; Karpata, The Hilma Hooker, Salt Pier, Andrea II, Oil Slick Leap, Alice in Wonderland, The Invisibles, and of course the House Reef. The three I would not miss; Karpata, The Hilma Hooker (a great wreck dive) and Salt Pier.

The highlights from some of our dives:

Karpata

   We dove Karpata twice, it’s one of the best dive sites in Bonaire, with huge wall formations, the topography is breathtaking. The second day we dove it, the wind had picked up and there were 4 or 5 foot swells, which made entry and exit a little difficult, at least for me. I am sure I made my wife proud as my fat ass rolled around in the surf, struggling to get into deeper water.

The Hilma Hooker

   The Hilma Hooker is a great wreck, with a great story. She sits in about 100 feet of crystal clear water, the wreck is in great condition, always large tarpon, the propeller makes for great photo opps, and your safety stop is swimming back to shore, by way of a great reef. Now that’s like, five “greats,” sounds like a great dive and “must do.”

Salt Pier

   Salt Pier is just that, a pier at the salt flats where the salt is loaded on ships. The pylons that the pier is built on are home to hard and soft corals, anemones, small creatures, schooling fish and large creatures; tarpon, barracuda and the occasional shark. We went during the day this time, but I love Salt Pier at night, it’s spooky.

And of course the House Reef

   Like I said earlier, the House Reef at Captain Don’s is fantastic! The ease of grabbing a tank and walking 50 feet down the dock and jumping in the water, the little wreck with a Green Moray and the Tarpon, make this a great dive. At night the Tarpon will follow divers, using the light from their dive lights, to hunt by. You’ll crap your wetsuit the first time a 5 foot Tarpon comes up along side you from behind. In a blink of an eye, he’s along side you then he has a fish, 15 ft. in front of you. Twenty years ago there was a Moray living in the wreck, and to my surprise, there was still one there (I don’t know if it is the same one). I had my GoPro on video mode, and was recording the wreck. Nice and slow, I came down one side, across the stern, and up the other side when this moray came out right in front of me, and I mean like a foot or two! Scared the shit out of me! I have a video of it (and an octopus) on my YouTube channel, so check it out. 

A handful of other pics from the other dive sites.

   When you’re not diving, you’ll find yourself in Kralendijk quite a bit. You need to go through Kralendijk to get most anywhere, plus there is plenty of shopping, great restaurants for lunch and dinner, bars and some nightlife. But, don’t forget Rincon. I love Rincon, it’s small, very few tourists, a great place for lunch if you are looking for local food. There’s a distillery you can check out, and also local artisans. Rincon should be on your list while in Bonaire, and actually, if you dive Karpata, you have no choice but to go through Ricon on your way home. So, after diving Karpata, plan on having lunch in Rincon one day, I am sure you’ll love it, and want to go back.

   Head south one morning, dive the Hilma Hooker, Salt Pier or any of the other of the amazing dive sites, and plan on Lac Bay and JibeCity for lunch. Snorkeling, windsurfing, sunbathing, shopping, restaurants and bars are all there for you to enjoy a leisurely afternoon after a morning of diving.

   On your drive down in the morning, or back in the afternoon, be sure to stop at the Red and White Slave Huts, the Salt Flats and Salt Piles for photo opps.

   If you’re looking for something to do for a day, that does not involve diving, you might wanna try Washington Slagbaai National Park. It’s a great way to spend three to five hours (depending on the route you choose). Bring plenty of water, snacks, swimsuit, a camera and your photo ID, they won’t let you in without it.

   Day and I met at the University of Massachusetts years ago, at a scuba class. We became friends and would spend hours sitting on the lawn, outside the Blue Wall Cafe, just talking. That was twenty years ago, sometimes seems like yesterday. Our trip to Bonaire was a reminder, a reminder of the years Day and I have between us. Those years are filled with memories of buying a home, tearing down a home, building a new home, a wedding, friends and family, travel, and many trips to Bonaire, all in a blink of an eye. A trip to Bonaire was my idea, I guess I was, and am feeling a bit nostalgic, and where better to go than Bonaire, which has been such a huge part of our lives for so many years. Thanks for reading along.

From Day and I, and the entire cast of characters from “Bonaire 2018” 

Explore, Dream, Discover and Travel!

 

Luv ya,
Curly