It was a dark and stormy night....oops that's already been taken
This was our 3rd trip, the other trips were both in April and with the surge we had to pass on many dive sites. Sites that were listed as easy still were a challenge to us. Breaking an ankle was not on our preferred item list when traveling. We had been told in October it would be very hot and dead calm, that all sites would be available.
1 month out dive gear was all tested packed and ready to go. Camera had been charged along with all the batteries we needed, strobe tested, dive lights checked. We really needed this trip. Clothes and other non essentials were packed the morning before we left (are we the only ones like this?)
We left Little Rock an noon Friday the 19th, due to the lack of options we got to fly to Houston then to Newark arrived at 11p where we spent the night. On the 9am flight to Bonaire and landed at 1:45, got our luggage and truck and were diving by 3:45. Life is good again! We could have flown in on Delta but they only do Sat-Sat and we needed every dive we could get. Now we are not hard core like some, 3 tanks a days is plenty for us.
We stay at Sand Dollar condos and it is perfect for us. Had a 1 bedroom studio, small but fine, they are a bit dated. Between Dive Friends on site and having access to tanks 24/7 and Bari reef it is hits all the requirements we had
Dive 1: Bari reef for our check out dive. We already knew Ilsa so it was pretty much “same as last time, have fun”. Very easy entry from the dock. Max depth 74 feet, water temp 83. vis 100 feet. Saw french angels, lots of morays, 1 golden moray, rock beauties, 4 eyed butterfly's, lots of tangs, harlequin bass, rock hinds, trumpets, grunts, groupers.....you know-all the regular suspects. GREAT DIVE
Hungry and thirsty so pizza and beer and sleep
Dive 2: Alice in Wonderland. Max depth 82 feet, temp 83 vis 100ft. Semi long swim out, easy entry. Great topography. Not as fishy as Bari but lots of great corals. Many christmas trees-they were everywhere, fairy basslets (lots), grunts, harlequin bass, palmetto, 6 rock beauties all together, tangs, 1 large lion fish (one of the very few we saw), butterfly's, juvenile trunkfish, lots of plate corals that had cleaner and peppermint shrimps. GREAT DIVE
Dive 3: Pink Beach. Max depth 87 feet, temp 82, vis 100ft. Easy entry. Medium long swim over sandy bottom. Fairy basslets, damsels, rock beauties, 'cuda, queen angels, parrots, grunts, tangs. GREAT DIVE
Dive 4-Bari reef. Max depth 82 ft, temp 82, vis 80 ft. Semi dusk dive, was getting out of the water at 630p just as sun went down. Baby moray, small turtle, several small queen angels, sea lug, 6 golden morays!, white spotted file fish, grunts, squirrels, rock hinds, goby's, groupers. GREAT DIVE
Dive 5-The Cliff. Max depth 88 ft, 82 temp vis 80 ft. Entry is a little challenging. My wife loved this dive, one of her favorites. Sheer cliff at 40 ft dropping to about 80 feet. Huge grouper, angels, flounders, scorpion fish, mature drums, lots of trumpets, very cool corals, wonderful topography, lobsters, turtle that followed us, trumpet fish that followed a parrot fish like a remora. GREAT DIVE
Dive 6-Windsock. Max depth 82, 83 temp vis 80 ft. juvenile drum, lots of peppermint shrimp, parrots, mild current, angels, striped butterfly's, corkscrew anemone, lots of damsels, basslets and trunk fish. GREAT DIVE
Dive 7-Bari reef. Max depth 83 ft, 83 temp, vis 100. As we swam out over the sand we saw a crab being followed by a peacock flounder, was really cool-wondered if the flounder was following for food? We watched this pair for about 10 min so it did not look like a chance encounter. Wish the video came out better. Spotted morays, huge tarpon, 2 turtles together. Late afternoon dive and lots of fish action. By the end of this dive we wished we brought our full wet suits-we were both cold. GREAT DIVE
Dive 8-1000 steps. Max depth 75 ft, 83 temp is 100 plus, maybe 120 plus---have never seen such clear water. Fantastic topography, incredible corals, lots of fish, several turtles. Well it was full of all the regular suspects. FANTASTIC DIVE MY FAVORITE.
Dive 9-Invisibles. Max depth 77 ft, 82 temp 100ft vis, beautiful corals and coral heads. Very diverse corals. Cleaner shrimps, anemones, huge brain coral, garden eels, eagle ray, some surge in the shallows. GREAT DIVE
Dive 10-1000 steps, max depth 75 ft, 82 temp, 100 ft vis. Loved it so much previous day we had to go back. Just as good 2nd time but those steps up really felt like 1000 this time. GREAT GREAT DIVE
Dive 11- Andrea 1. max dept76 ft, 82 temp, 75 ft vis. Parrots, chain moray, lots cleaner shrimps and arrow crabs, yellow tails, beautiful corals, rock beauties, french and queen angels, sickly cucumber, sharp tail eel. GREAT DIVE.
Dive 12-Bari reef. Max depth 75 ft, 83 temp, 80 ft vis. Lots of other divers down there! We went in at dusk and came up in dark. It was really better to go earlier, seemed like many of the resident fishes went to bed. GOOD DIVE
Dive 13- Red Beryl. Max depth 76 ft, 82 temp, vis 100 ft. Chain moray, french and queen angels, banded butterfly's, trunkfish, drums ect. GREAT GREAT DIVE
Dive 14-Pink Beach. Max depth 66 ft, 82 temp, 100 ft vis, We saw all the regular suspects but the highlight was a HUGE 6+ ft moray free swimming. She was FAT and happy, got some great video . GREAT DIVE
Dive 15-Reb Beryl. Max depth 73 ft, 82 temp, 80 ft vis.Was not as good as 1st time ,not as much life, beautiful ray, 'cuda, lots of small life in lettuce coral and if we snorkled this would be a good location. GREAT DIV
Dive 16- Invisibles. Max dept 76 ft, 83 temp 100 ft vis. Even better 2nd time. Juvenile french angel, lots of tangs, beaugregory juvenile, trunks, BIG anemones, juvenile drums, cleaners, queen angels, lots of damsels, rock beauties. FANTASTIC DIVE
Dive 17- Bari reef. Max depth 73 ft, 83 temp, 100 vis. Wife found another juvenile trunk, how she spots them amazes me-this was nm 4 for her, spotted moray under it, usual suspects, have never had a dive any less than fabulous on the Bari reef. GREAT DIVE
Dive 18 (last dive) Bari reef. Max depth 83 ft, 82 temp 100 ft vis. Great way to end our trip, we love love love Bari reef. Just another wonderful dive. GREAT DIVE
October was a great month to go. We did have some wind which we appreciated greatly, they said week before there was no wind. We cooked breakfast in the condo and ate out rest of the meals. I took over 1800 pics and videos,used up 17.9g. Wish I knew how to add them.
Loved the trip so much we are going back with 2 other couples next April. Be glad to answer any questions (assuming someone read this to the end)
Tanks!!!
Bill and Deedee
This was our 3rd trip, the other trips were both in April and with the surge we had to pass on many dive sites. Sites that were listed as easy still were a challenge to us. Breaking an ankle was not on our preferred item list when traveling. We had been told in October it would be very hot and dead calm, that all sites would be available.
1 month out dive gear was all tested packed and ready to go. Camera had been charged along with all the batteries we needed, strobe tested, dive lights checked. We really needed this trip. Clothes and other non essentials were packed the morning before we left (are we the only ones like this?)
We left Little Rock an noon Friday the 19th, due to the lack of options we got to fly to Houston then to Newark arrived at 11p where we spent the night. On the 9am flight to Bonaire and landed at 1:45, got our luggage and truck and were diving by 3:45. Life is good again! We could have flown in on Delta but they only do Sat-Sat and we needed every dive we could get. Now we are not hard core like some, 3 tanks a days is plenty for us.
We stay at Sand Dollar condos and it is perfect for us. Had a 1 bedroom studio, small but fine, they are a bit dated. Between Dive Friends on site and having access to tanks 24/7 and Bari reef it is hits all the requirements we had
Dive 1: Bari reef for our check out dive. We already knew Ilsa so it was pretty much “same as last time, have fun”. Very easy entry from the dock. Max depth 74 feet, water temp 83. vis 100 feet. Saw french angels, lots of morays, 1 golden moray, rock beauties, 4 eyed butterfly's, lots of tangs, harlequin bass, rock hinds, trumpets, grunts, groupers.....you know-all the regular suspects. GREAT DIVE
Hungry and thirsty so pizza and beer and sleep
Dive 2: Alice in Wonderland. Max depth 82 feet, temp 83 vis 100ft. Semi long swim out, easy entry. Great topography. Not as fishy as Bari but lots of great corals. Many christmas trees-they were everywhere, fairy basslets (lots), grunts, harlequin bass, palmetto, 6 rock beauties all together, tangs, 1 large lion fish (one of the very few we saw), butterfly's, juvenile trunkfish, lots of plate corals that had cleaner and peppermint shrimps. GREAT DIVE
Dive 3: Pink Beach. Max depth 87 feet, temp 82, vis 100ft. Easy entry. Medium long swim over sandy bottom. Fairy basslets, damsels, rock beauties, 'cuda, queen angels, parrots, grunts, tangs. GREAT DIVE
Dive 4-Bari reef. Max depth 82 ft, temp 82, vis 80 ft. Semi dusk dive, was getting out of the water at 630p just as sun went down. Baby moray, small turtle, several small queen angels, sea lug, 6 golden morays!, white spotted file fish, grunts, squirrels, rock hinds, goby's, groupers. GREAT DIVE
Dive 5-The Cliff. Max depth 88 ft, 82 temp vis 80 ft. Entry is a little challenging. My wife loved this dive, one of her favorites. Sheer cliff at 40 ft dropping to about 80 feet. Huge grouper, angels, flounders, scorpion fish, mature drums, lots of trumpets, very cool corals, wonderful topography, lobsters, turtle that followed us, trumpet fish that followed a parrot fish like a remora. GREAT DIVE
Dive 6-Windsock. Max depth 82, 83 temp vis 80 ft. juvenile drum, lots of peppermint shrimp, parrots, mild current, angels, striped butterfly's, corkscrew anemone, lots of damsels, basslets and trunk fish. GREAT DIVE
Dive 7-Bari reef. Max depth 83 ft, 83 temp, vis 100. As we swam out over the sand we saw a crab being followed by a peacock flounder, was really cool-wondered if the flounder was following for food? We watched this pair for about 10 min so it did not look like a chance encounter. Wish the video came out better. Spotted morays, huge tarpon, 2 turtles together. Late afternoon dive and lots of fish action. By the end of this dive we wished we brought our full wet suits-we were both cold. GREAT DIVE
Dive 8-1000 steps. Max depth 75 ft, 83 temp is 100 plus, maybe 120 plus---have never seen such clear water. Fantastic topography, incredible corals, lots of fish, several turtles. Well it was full of all the regular suspects. FANTASTIC DIVE MY FAVORITE.
Dive 9-Invisibles. Max depth 77 ft, 82 temp 100ft vis, beautiful corals and coral heads. Very diverse corals. Cleaner shrimps, anemones, huge brain coral, garden eels, eagle ray, some surge in the shallows. GREAT DIVE
Dive 10-1000 steps, max depth 75 ft, 82 temp, 100 ft vis. Loved it so much previous day we had to go back. Just as good 2nd time but those steps up really felt like 1000 this time. GREAT GREAT DIVE
Dive 11- Andrea 1. max dept76 ft, 82 temp, 75 ft vis. Parrots, chain moray, lots cleaner shrimps and arrow crabs, yellow tails, beautiful corals, rock beauties, french and queen angels, sickly cucumber, sharp tail eel. GREAT DIVE.
Dive 12-Bari reef. Max depth 75 ft, 83 temp, 80 ft vis. Lots of other divers down there! We went in at dusk and came up in dark. It was really better to go earlier, seemed like many of the resident fishes went to bed. GOOD DIVE
Dive 13- Red Beryl. Max depth 76 ft, 82 temp, vis 100 ft. Chain moray, french and queen angels, banded butterfly's, trunkfish, drums ect. GREAT GREAT DIVE
Dive 14-Pink Beach. Max depth 66 ft, 82 temp, 100 ft vis, We saw all the regular suspects but the highlight was a HUGE 6+ ft moray free swimming. She was FAT and happy, got some great video . GREAT DIVE
Dive 15-Reb Beryl. Max depth 73 ft, 82 temp, 80 ft vis.Was not as good as 1st time ,not as much life, beautiful ray, 'cuda, lots of small life in lettuce coral and if we snorkled this would be a good location. GREAT DIV
Dive 16- Invisibles. Max dept 76 ft, 83 temp 100 ft vis. Even better 2nd time. Juvenile french angel, lots of tangs, beaugregory juvenile, trunks, BIG anemones, juvenile drums, cleaners, queen angels, lots of damsels, rock beauties. FANTASTIC DIVE
Dive 17- Bari reef. Max depth 73 ft, 83 temp, 100 vis. Wife found another juvenile trunk, how she spots them amazes me-this was nm 4 for her, spotted moray under it, usual suspects, have never had a dive any less than fabulous on the Bari reef. GREAT DIVE
Dive 18 (last dive) Bari reef. Max depth 83 ft, 82 temp 100 ft vis. Great way to end our trip, we love love love Bari reef. Just another wonderful dive. GREAT DIVE
October was a great month to go. We did have some wind which we appreciated greatly, they said week before there was no wind. We cooked breakfast in the condo and ate out rest of the meals. I took over 1800 pics and videos,used up 17.9g. Wish I knew how to add them.
Loved the trip so much we are going back with 2 other couples next April. Be glad to answer any questions (assuming someone read this to the end)
Tanks!!!
Bill and Deedee
