Known as the shore diving capital of the world, Bonaire had often been recommended to us by fellow SCUBA divers and we were eager to see if it lived up to the hype. With 63 dive sites off the coast of Bonaire, this Dutch island offered the ultimate feeling of freedom as we were completely autonomous in controlling where, when, and how long we wanted to dive each day. Needless to say, Bonaire is extremely popular with other divers and we found all the popular dive resorts to be fully booked (in some cases up to a year in advance). With most dive resorts offering transport/tanks as part of their stay package, we had to scramble to piecemeal our trip together but quickly sorted out accommodation (Windhoek Resort Bonaire) and transportation (AB Car rental which offered an unlimited tank combo deal with their trucks). Since our bungalow was fully equipped with a kitchen for self catering, we were all set. Becky’s parents joined us on our SCUBA adventure and we had a blast, squeezing in 18 dives in addition to checking out the island. One week here flew by and wasn’t nearly enough time, so we suspect we’ll be back for a future trip. So happy Bonaire surpassed our expectations!
The helpful and friendly Tessa at AB-Dive Bonaire, a great place to get unlimited SCUBA tanks for shore diving
Wall mural of two happy snorkelers
“Bonaire…the place to be…”
Cactus security fence
Bachelor’s Beach
Ann next to a giant iguana statue at the entrance to Flamingo Airport, Bonaire’s international airport
Honeycomb cowfish
Dogtooth snapper (schoolmaster snapper) hovering above a basket sponge
School of mahogany snapper
Dogtooth snapper hanging out at Salt Pier dive site
Spanish flag snapper
Rock beauty angelfish
Tarpon
Tiger grouper
An iguana checks us out; Windhoek Resort Bonaire
Private bungalow at Windhoek Resort
The lovely pool at Windhoek Resort Bonaire
A local fisherman shows off the catch of the day at Zarpin fish shop
A lady selling homemade chicken curry puffs and pumpkin/raisin bread outside the Warehouse Bonaire Supermarket
French grunt huddled together for safety
Barracuda
Glasseye snapper
Spotted drumfish
Spotted eagle ray
Spotted moray eel
Pretty flowers outside our bungalow
A day of SCUBA is good for the soul!
Ann and Robby enjoying some fresh coconut water
Brown chromis over staghorn coral
Caribbean reef squid with staghorn coral in the background; 1000 steps dive site
Sergeant major fish guarding its eggs
Bar Jack
Green moray eel
Driving through Washington-Slagbaai National Park
40 foot skeleton of a Bryde’s whale on display at the visitor center; Washington-Slagbaai National Park
French angelfish
Juvenile French angelfish
A pair of lionfish
Lobster
Bob watching over the descaling of our fresh fish; Zarpin Fish Shop
Posing with our buddy from Zarpin Fish Shop - the best place to get fresh fish at great prices in Bonaire!
One of the yummy dinners prepared at our bungalow. Self catering in Bonaire is the way to go - cheap and tasty
Spanish hogfish
A pair of Caribbean reef squid
A Bar Jack shadowing an octopus
Princess parrotfish munching on brain coral
Green turtle
Spotted trunkfish
Greater soapfish
Robby working on getting us coconut water
Southern stingray
Banded butterflyfish swimming around purple tube sponges
Scrawled filefish
Smooth trunkfish
Sharptail eel
Flying gurnard
An aquarium reef scene - Spanish flag snapper, French grunt and Brown chromis
Hawksbill turtle
Porcupinefish
Decor at the Windhoek Resort Bonaire
Flamingo wall mural
Robby behind the wheel of our trusty truck from AB-Car Rental
Ann, Bob and Becky in front of the colorful buildings of Courtyard Marriott Bonaire
An iguana soaks up the sun by the water’s edge
“Once a visitor always a friend” - Bonaire
“It’s In Our Nature” - Bonaire tourism campaign
Bonaire license plate
Bonaire Tourism Office in downtown Kralendijk
Flamingo wall mural
Artwork for sale in Kralendijk
The colorful buildings of Kralendijk, the capital city and main port of Bonaire
Massive wall mural in Kralendijk
Ann and Becky next to a “Dushi Bonaire” sign. (Dushi means nice, sweet or good)
Divers Diner
Colorful wall mural
Entrance to Tiki & Co, a new tropical and exotic craft cocktail bar in the heart of Kralendijk
The aptly named “Art Hotel”
Mural of a girl eating grapes
Bonaire street mural
Colorful reef scene painted on a house in Bonaire
Brightly colored house
Ann and Bob in front of a 1500 square foot mural painted on the Trans World Radio building in Bonaire
We loved the colorful wall murals painted on the buildings in Bonaire
Street art; Bonaire
Gorgeous mural on the wall next to the Something Special Dive site
Bouys hanging from a tree at Playa Lechi
Bonaire’s shoe tree
Not to be outdone, Bonaire also has a license plate tree!
Villa Kas Koral - an oceanfront vacation rental in Kralendijk
Locals hanging out on a dock in Kralendijk
Plants that thrive in the arid landscape of Bonaire
A cactus fence around a building in the capital of Bonaire
The Salt Pyramids of Bonaire
Posing in front of the salt pyramids
White slave houses
Bob next to our AB Car rental truck - the best way to explore Bonaire
Flamingo in the salt flats of Bonaire
Slave huts built on the southwest coast of Bonaire in the 1850s (near Bonaire’s salt lake)
Bridge at the southern end of Bonaire
Popular swimming hole at the southern end of Bonaire
Fish built out of driftwood
Wall mural painted on an abandoned shrimp farm at Soroban; Bonaire
Spectacular sunset at Bachelor’s Beach
Beautiful wall mural seen on our drive to the northwest dive sites of Bonaire
Flamingos! We never got tired of seeing flamingos in Bonaire
“Do it for them” artwork painted on a trash can
Yield to SCUBA diver sign - only in Bonaire!
The narrow road leading to the northern dive sites of Bonaire
Ann at the top of the 1000 Steps dive site
Robby at 1000 Steps, a must see dive site in Bonaire!
