Best photo ops in Bonaire?

[cjames]

Headed to Bonaire in August with my camera gear and maybe a rebreather. What are the best dive spots for...

A.) Macro
B.) Wide Angle

Thanks.

 

[Bosun]

Wide angle I would say all sites but especially the Hilma Hookerand the Piers (When open). I like bait balls for wide angle shots and the Tarpon at night are fun. Macro again all sites, maybe more at night. 60mm is great for Angel fish, froggies and Sea horses.

Have a great trip.

 

[reefdiva]

Our favorite spots for shooting "little critters" are Eden's Rubble, Margate, Tori's, Soft Coral Garden and anywhere in town. We always leave time on all dives to hang out in the shallows and look for little things. A copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy by Susan Porter will also tell you which sites have great shallows for exploring.

 

[diversteve]

This site will give you some ideas of what to expect at various dive sites:

http://www.photography.magicsea.com/Bonaire/

And this is Salt Pier if it's open. Also macro on the pier legs. Town Pier at night if it's open for red cup corals etc.
Both are DM escorted only dives. I've recently been told both are closed though. Bari Reef has the most fish species ever counted in the Caribbean. It's between Sand Dollar and Den Laman Condos, follow the sign for Bonaire Dive & Adventure.

Photo credit: http://www.scubaimages.net

 

[Warmwater Wank]

According to a Bonaire Talk post on 7/19 both piers are still closed. General feeling seems to be they will stay that way. Shouldn't matter though, ANY dive site can provide subject matter.

One of the tricks is not to get too locked into what to expect, so you can leave yourself open to what is waiting to be seen. That's one of the best things about diving Bonaire, you can be surprised on every dive. I would echo ReefDiva's comment about time in the shallows. Critter-wise, instead of 3 minute safety stops you can easily do 30 minutes (or more!), hanging in 15-20 foot water at almost any site, and be amply rewarded. // ww

 

[Sully3]

Headed to Bonaire in August with my camera gear and maybe a rebreather. What are the best dive spots for...

A.) Macro
B.) Wide Angle

Thanks.

I have been to Bonaire 5 times, and we also are going back in august. (im new to the forum though)
OUr favs for macro are yellow submarine and something special
frogfish
seahorses
squid
sailfin blennies
octopus
snake eels
if your really lucky batfish
Definitely do them at night. and make sure to explore the rubble areas of both sites day and night. great stuff in them.
also ask the DMs about frogfish and seahorses exact locations

WIde angle would have to be the east side. sharks( if your lucky) turtles and rays
etc.

maybe we'll see you there
matt sullivan

 

[doctormike]

Our favorite spots for shooting "little critters" are Eden's Rubble, Margate, Tori's, Soft Coral Garden and anywhere in town. We always leave time on all dives to hang out in the shallows and look for little things. A copy of Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy by Susan Porter will also tell you which sites have great shallows for exploring.

Eden's rubble was great, and very convenient.

I stayed at Eden Beach and every morning, before my kids would get up (lazy teenagers!), I would just grab my macro lens and plant myself on the rubble pile out front and fill up my CF card (pretty shallow, so I usually got bored or hungry before air got low).

Take some extra weight, helps for macro... and since it's just a rubble pile on sand, you can sit yourself on the bottom and shoot away, without worrying about damaging a reef!

But of course, it's hard to find a bad spot anywhere in Bonaire!

M