Bonaire eeef health and marine life compared to Cozumel

[loady]

For people that have dove or snorkeled in both Bonaire AND Cozumel in 2024 or 2025: does either in those years clearly have healthier reefs, more or more varied marine life , or better visibility? I’m deciding between the two after having made several Cozumel trips. Coz is great but I did feel herded and nannied on those boat dives. I like the idea of unlimited unguided diving and possibly less development and people and a new culture . But the flights will be twice as long with layovers / plane changes from Southern California .
Also, if you stayed at the same level hotel or resort in each , for a trip of the same number of dives and days what’s the price differential per person between Coz and Bonaire? I understand it’s self drive beach shore dives in one and guided boat dives in the other.
Thanks!

 

[arew+4]

For people that have dove or snorkeled in both Bonaire AND Cozumel in 2024 or 2025: does either in those years clearly have healthier reefs, more or more varied marine life , or better visibility? I’m deciding between the two after having made several Cozumel trips. Coz is great but I did feel herded and nannied on those boat dives. I like the idea of unlimited unguided diving and possibly less development and people and a new culture . But the flights will be twice as long with layovers / plane changes from Southern California .
Also, if you stayed at the same level hotel or resort in each , for a trip of the same number of dives and days what’s the price differential per person between Coz and Bonaire? I understand it’s self drive beach shore dives in one and guided boat dives in the other.
Thanks!

Food and lodging, prices are similar, we tend to go the VRBO route. You will pay a bit of a premium for a place to stay that has a house reef. With unlimited shore diving at $40 or so a day and only three dives per day you are under $15 a dive if you have all your own gear. As for the truck a older model can be had for $50-60 day amortized over the week between two divers and pulling cab fair for the week, it adds $10 a dive at 3 per day. So all in $20-25 per dive less if you do 4. Four a day is a little work, but well worth it. an average 3.5 per day is easily achieved.

Last in Cozumel in 2021, Bonaire March 2025, and 2022 before that. Coral everywhere has been damaged Bleaching, SCTLD etc. in 21 22 coz had the edge on reef health and life, I think the reefs in Bonaire where doing better in 2025, they were also very fishy, however, we saw very few green morays, and lobster vs previous trips but based comments it seems to be an anomally.