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Travel : Bonaire Category
Authored by MVPix Photographer Jean-Sebastien Morisset This latest trip to Bonaire has been the best, and the worst.
We woke up at 2:00am on October 15th for a very early morning flight to Bonaire. Eric and Sebastien met us at the airport and we all had a great time on our way down through Miami and San Juan. We had pizza and took plenty of pictures in Miami. Sebastien is an especially fun subject since he doesn't like to be photographed. :-) We all slept a little bit on the flights and had a take-out dinner (by the seaside) of sausages from the Argentinian Grill. Sunday morning we had an early breakfast at the City Cafe and then picked up some groceries from the Cultimara. We dove the Calabas II reef behind the Carib Inn that afternoon, and continued to dive 2-3 times a day for the next 3 weeks...
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 Melanie and I are off to Bonaire again for the 7th time in 4 years. We'll be staying at the Carib Inn for the first 3 weeks of May. Clay & Lee Lansdown, friends we haven't seen for a while, will be staying next door to us. As usual, the company, weather and shore diving should all be excellent. We've also booked another stay in October 2005 for the coral spawning. Several friends have also booked their vacations at the same time, so it should make for a great trip. The October trip may be our last visit to Bonaire for a while. We're planning a live-aboard trip to Fiji in 2006, and I'm slowly persuading Melanie that a cave diving trip to Florida or Mexico would be both fun and safe. :-) As a pre-cursor, we'll probably take a GUE Tech-1 course over the summer in Kingston (a few hours away by car).
After our last vacation in May of last year, Melanie asked me to look at upgrading her photography equipment. She's been using a small Sony P&S with a single DS-50 substrobe for a while, so it was definately time for something better. I wrote an article called Digital Cameras with TTL Support Underwater documenting my search for a TTL Flash capable setup. There were several contenders, but the Canon 20D with an Ikelite housing came up the winner. I figured we might as well upgrade my setup as well, so I sold my Sony F717 housing, Ikelite substrobe arms, etc. and bought two Canon 20Ds with a variety of lenses, two Ikelite housings with 5 ports, ULCS substrobe arms of various lengths, and two additional Ikelite DS-125 substrobes.
Curious about the lens/port combinations we chose? Keep in mind that we're using two cameras simultaneously, so there's some overlap in focal lengths. I also expect some lenses and ports will be more popular than others. :-) One of my goals was also to keep the focal lengths (and therefore subjects) of both cameras compatible on any given dive.
- Canon EF-S 10-22 f3.5-4.5 USM (#5510.80 Aquatica 8" Dome Port or #5503.50 Dome Port)
- Canon EF 17-40mm f4.0L USM (#5510.80 Aquatica 8" Dome Port or #5503.50 Dome Port)
- Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM (#5503.90 Dome Port)
- Canon EF 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 II USM (#5503.55 Dome Port)
- Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM (#5510.80 Aquatica 8" Dome Port or #5503.50 Dome Port)
- Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro USM (#5508.45 Flat Port)
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 On Wednesday, September 8th 2004, hurricane Ivan passed 60 miles north of Bonaire N.A., sending large swells on Bonaire's north/east shores. Linda Baker from the Carib Inn sent out a few e-mail to keep Bonaire regulars up-to-date. The Carib Inn lost most of the boards from their pier, the Divi lost their main pier once again, and Lions Dive had to sweep sand from their offices. Linda also reports that Vista Blue is fine, Something Special is more of a garbage site now than before (but the 4 frogfish are still there), Witches Hut has a lot of broken coral in the shallows and coral damage by sandcover, some coral heads were pushed near the entry ramp at the Windjammer reef (aka BOPEC) and there is minor sand damage to the corals, there doesn't seem to be much damage at S.W. Cornor - most of the damage there was from Lenny in 1999. Margate Bay, Hands Off and South Bay were reported as fine. Petri's Pillar has some sand damage. Linda was told by someone who dove Baby Beach that the corals are in really bad shape.
The Carib Inn has posted several photos of Ivan and it's aftermath on their website.
Do you have more Bonaire news and/or pictures to share? Post a comment...
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On the afternoon of May 13th 2004, Melanie, Eric and I dove the Salt Pier in Bonaire. We opted for a simple dive profile - out from the shore to the central pier, then north to the neighboring pier, then back along the same route. The visibility was a little worse than usual, so extra care had to be taken with substrobe placement. The dive was fairly un-eventful, until we headed back to shore from the central pier...
Hanging-out close to the central pier were two very large squid. We breathed quietly, minimized our movements, and approached slowly. I chose one squid and started taking shots - adjusting camera and substrobe settings with slow and deliberate movements. Melanie and Eric, next to me, watched quietly. After a few shots, the squid changed from a light brown / beige color to the beautiful iridescent white / orange / purple color you see here. While I concentrated my attention on this squid, Melanie stretched out her hand and moved it slowly back and forth in a squid-like fashion. The second squid approached and gently brushed up against her hand with it's wings. According to Melanie, a squid is very smooth and soft to the touch. A few moments later, my squid maneuvered back to the other squid and quickly flashed through a series of color patterns. Since we didn't want to stress, alter or interfere with their natural behavior, we left them to continue their mating ritual in peace.
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The common description of Petrie's Pillar goes something like: "A shore dive for the beginner, with moderate currents and an average depth of 30-100 feet. The terrain is much like Andrea I and II. Large stands of Pillar Coral are found in the shallows along with schools of Blue Tangs. This site was named by Capt. Don as a wedding present for a friend." If you believe this description, you're likely to abort the dive before setting foot in the water! The waves from hurricane Lenny in 1999 destroyed most of the shallow corals. The shallows are now carpeted with algea covered rubble, several feet deep, making the entry very slippery and dangerous. It's very easy for a foot to slip between the dead coral, and twist your ankle in the process. If you attempt this entry, using you buddy for balance (and vise-versa) is almost required.
Getting down from the parking lot to the shore can also prove to be a little challenging, though not to the extent of the actual entry. You should bring along a pair of good solid shears, in case you need to cut away some of the thorn bushes. Walk down to the shore before putting on your gear. If you don't have a good sense of balance, you might have some difficulty. The path is narrow and a little tricky.
Before getting in the water, take a compass reading. There's a good swim over featureless sand flats after the rubble strewn shallows. One or two coral heads along the way can help validate your navigation, depending on your chosen heading.
So, why bother shore diving Petrie's Pillar? Well, it depends what you like to see on your dives. If you're into small stuff, the shallows here are excellent - on par (or perhaps better) than Tori's Reef. On the reef itself, you'll see a good coverage of hard corals and sponges.
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We arrived late Saturday night on Bonaire, did some grocery shopping, etc. on Sunday, and started diving on Monday morning. On our second dive, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't equalize no matter how hard I tried. The cold symptoms hit hard that night, and I would be unable to dive for the next 3 days. Once I could equalize again, I took some decongestant and we tried a very conservative dive profile from the hotel's pier. My ears cleared up quickly over the next few days, but my sinuses took a little longer.
Here I am, a few days later, under the Salt Pier. My sinuses are preventing me from diving any deeper than 10-15 feet. Melanie took advantage of the situation, and dropped down to take some wide-angle shots of me. The coral encrusted pilings are especially dramatic when seen from the bottom like this. The Salt Pier is also a very nice night dive - a good alternative to the Town Pier. The visibility is generally good, but may vary from one day to the next. It can be especially bad in the shallows on occasion.
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We got home just after midnight on Sunday morning - after being up for 21 hours straight. The flights back were fairly un-eventful, although 3 of our checked luggage were searched in Miami. I though I'd put everything suspicious in our carry-ons, but they're getting really paranoid. For example, if you put a few books together, there's a good chance they'll search your luggage because the books create a 'solid looking mass'. Next time we'll space out our books... :-)
Our stay at the Carib Inn was very enjoyable - we met several old friends, and made a few new ones. Just before our last dive, the winds reversed and allowed us to dive the White Hole on the eastern shore. This was a very special treat, especially since it was our last dive on this trip. Most of our other dives were from shore - after all, Bonaire is probably the best place in the world to shore dive. We also took the time to clean-up the entry on Petries Pillar. We should have an article on that dive site in another few weeks.
In the next few days / weeks, I'll be working on sorting, choosing, and post-processing our pictures. We came back with 640 pictures - several of which are excellent and will be submitted to a few photo contests. New photos should start appearing on the site in the next few days.
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Melanie and I are heading back to Bonaire the first three weeks of May. If you'd like to dive with us, or would like to suggest / request some specific photo subjects, please let us know. We'll be staying at Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn (as usual) and doing mostly shore dives down south.
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A Yellowline Arrow Crab [Stenorhynchus seticornis] on the edge of a gray Branching Vase Sponge. They have a golden-brown, triangular body with a long pointed snout (rostrum). The crab's carapace is decorated with fine dark lines. They have long, slender, spider-like legs, with claws on the tips which are often violet in color.
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I've added two photos of an orange Longlure Frogfish, a Secretary Blenny (Lost in Space), and a Barred Hamlet to the Netherland Antilles > Bonaire > Nature > Underwater > Fish folder...
Longlure Frogfish [Antennarius multiocellatus] (pictured here) have a long, whitish translucent filament, called a lure, just above their upper lip. They dangle this lure in front of them to attract passing prey. When they strike, their mouths expand up to 12 times normal size, and they eat their victim whole (along with a considerable amount of water) all within 6 milliseconds. Longlure Frogfish come in a variety of colors, including deep red, pink, orange, yellow, green, and tan. They can change color, pale, or darken, to match the background. You can often find them resting on top of sponges, relying on their camouflage to hide from predators. This photo was taken at Hands Off in Bonaire.
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Melanie took this picture of me on the stern of the Hilma Hooker in Bonaire. I converted the photo to B&W, and added film-like grain for extra effect. We have several more wide-angle shots that I may also convert to B&W. The effect is quite striking...
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These cleaner shrimp often perch on the tentacles of an anemone, swaying their body and antennae to attract fish. The Spotted Cleaner Shrimps [ Periclimenes yucatanicus] live in association with a variety of anemones, including the Giant Anemone seen here. I took this picture on our last dive, in the shallows at Tori's Reef in Bonaire. There was a strong surge, which made getting this little shrimp in focus quite difficult.
The Caribean Reef Octopus [ Octopus briareus] inhabites coral reefs, residing in recesses or sponges during the day. It can be found in the open on reefs at night hunting for food, often spreading itself in a distinctive parachute pattern to attack and engulf prey. This one, found on the Calabas II reef in Bonaire, is using a similar technique to conform to the landscape and avoid detection.
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A young Tiger Grouper [ Mycteroperca tigris] at a cleaning station, taken at Red Slave in Bonaire. The cleaners are two Yellownose Goby [ Gobiosoma randalli] and a juvenile Spanish Hogfish [ Bodianus rufus]. Groupers are particularly plagued by an assortment of external parasites. These are mainly isopods and copepods that burrow into the tissues around the eyes, nortrils, under scales, and lining of gills and mouth. To keep their infestation under control, Groupers spend a significant amount of time at cleaning stations where parasite-eating fish and shrimps dine on their pests.
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A young Honeycomb Cowfish [ Acanthostracion polygonia] pecking the surface of a Black Sea Rod [ Plexaura homomalla]. This photo was taken at Yellow Hut (an un-marked dive site) in Bonaire.
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While diving the Calabas II reef on Bonaire, we came accross this small Hawksbill Turtle (approx. 22-24" including it's head). Careful not to disturb it's natural behavior, we followed as it searched for food in the corals. Hawksbills have a narrow head with jaws meeting at an acute angle, adapted for getting food from crevices in coral reefs. They eat sponges, tunicates, shrimps, and squids. At one point, this Hawksbill Turtle stuck it's head (and shoulders) in a coral and thrashed around, happily munching on (what we believe was) a small sponge. After several minutes, we almost thought it had gotten stuck, but when it finished eating, it pulled itself out and continued on it's way.
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We just got back from Bonaire last week-end. As usual, our time in Bonaire was wonderful. Bonaire is known for it's very accessible shore dives, and the weather this time of year allowed us to dive some of the more difficult sites often (Lighthouse, Red Slave, etc.). We would have liked to dive a few sites on the east side of Bonaire, but our schedule didn't permit it. We'll definately try to dive them when we return in May 2004, weather permitting.
The Carib Inn, our prefered hotel/resort on the island, uses small (10-12 people) boats with fast engines. When there were fewer divers scheduled on the boat, and Frank (aka "boat boy") was divemaster, we took the occasion to dive a few sites on Klein Bonaire (un-inhabited island in Bonaire's bay). In total, we dove 36 times over 18 days and came back with 1,281 pictures. It'll take a while to select the best ones, so you can expect to see additional news items as I add pictures to MVPix over the next few months.
Our next trip to Bonaire is scheduled for May 2004. If you would like us to take pictures of a specific subject (above or underwater), please let us know by e-mailing .
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We will be in Bonaire once again from October 19th to November 8th 2003 and from May 1st to 22nd 2004. As usual, we'll be staying at our favorite inn on the island; Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn. Liz and Bruce run a great little inn with nice & comfortable rooms, friendly & competent staff, and clean tanks & air. We're still hoping they'll offer Nitrox at some point in the future...
Chances are, you'll find us shore diving the southern and northern sites (south of white slaves, and up in the national park), but you might also catch us on Bruce's boat once in a while. For our October visit, we've decided to set a few goals -- before leaving, we'll select 10 compositions to try and choose 10 fish to photograph (a frog fish and sea horse are sure to make the list). Once we're there, we'll practice 10 drills per week, and take notes for 3 different articles. The article subjects we're considering are Shore Diving Bonaire, The Restaurants of Bonaire, and The Reef Fish of Bonaire.
If you would like to suggest a composition, a fish to photograph, an article subject, or to let us know you'll be in Bonaire at the same time; post a comment on this News item...
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L'île de Bonaire est reconnue pour la richesse de ses fonds marins, ses petites créatures et la facilité d'y plonger de la rive tout au long de sa côte ouest. Bonaire offre plus de 80 sites de plongée identifiés avec des bouées sur l'eau ou avec des pierres peinturées jaunes sur le long de la route. Les sites non identifiés sont très nombreux. Il faut seulement choisir un point d'entrée, stationné son véhicule sur le côté de la route et plonger à l'aventure !! Ce petit paradis terrestre demeure pour l'instant, à cause de son éloignement et sa difficulté d'accès, un trésor sous développé avec moins de 60 000 visiteurs par année.
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Talk to any diver about their favorite vacations, and you're likely to hear about Bonaire. As Bonaire's license plate boldly states, it's a " Divers Paradise". The dive sites are plentiful (over 80 marked and many more un-marked), most are easily accessible from shore, visibility often exceeds 100 feet, and there's very little current. Bonaire offers some of the easiest and hassle-free diving in the world.
Over the years, a few events have changed this once pristine island. In 1999, large waves from Hurricane Lenny slammed into Bonaire's north/west sides, destroying ocean front property and reefs down to 30 feet. In 2002, the Dutch airline KLM moved their regional hub from Curacao to Bonaire, extending the landing strip, building a new petrol pier and holding tanks. Flights have increased dramatically, and large 747s now arrive and depart four times per week. When booking a hotel, you should consider how far you'll be from the airport. Otherwise, you might have to tolerate the window-shaking roar of engines at 4am Sunday morning when KLM's 747 takes off for Amsterdam.
Even with all these changes, Bonaire remains one of the premier dive destinations of the Caribbean. The diving is easy, and many of the southern dive sites were untouched by the waves of '99. The following article will center on the current state of Bonaire as-of May 2003 - recommended Accomodations, Restaurants, Dive Sites, and other activities.
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