We just returned from 6 days on Bonaire, with a great group of ScubaBoard members, that I had only met online until last week. We stayed at the Plaza, and this was my first time to ever use that resort. Large, very nice, sometimes a bit spread out, but friendly, helpful people, especially at Toucan divers, the dive shop. I can't say anything about Toucan's boat dives, because all I usually do on Bonaire is shore dive, (except for the one exception below). Very good breakfast spread, that also helped provide tidbits for lunch, so we could focus on the diving.
The 10 SB members that Colleen and I stayed with were all well seasoned divers, and tons of fun to dive and spend SI with!
Due to a scheduling error on our part my girlfriend and I only had 6 days on Bonaire this trip, but I still did 22 dives. We had a ball! Great group of people, and fun to dive with. I hated to get on the plane and head home!
We also got the chance to do the new Buddy Dive, 3 tank Washington Slagbii Park boat dive, with my SB friend Herman, and his buddies, ScottyD and Tony, from NC, who were staying at Den Lamen. Very good dives, but unfortunately we didn't get to see the larger marine critters this area is known for on our dives. Maybe next year!?
Tues night's Barbecue at the plaza was a blast, and we met many more SB members there, who were on Bonaire at the same time. SB members from all over the US, and Holland too! Another, larger (@44 divers) group from my region, Indian Valley Scuba was also at the Plaza, so a lot of divers made new friends on this trip.
6 of us, in our group also did the Blue Hole site on the eastern, or Wild Side of the island, as a shore dive. THAT is one dive I do not suggest we do next year, unless we have some really really aggressive (read that crazy!), and tough divers in our group. While it was a truly awesome dive, with 7 rays and 6 turtles, unspoiled sea fans everywhere, and larger fish life than the western side, it was a rough entry, and a horribly painful exit! All 6 of us ended up riding surf into fire coral and/or urchins. Just seemed to be no safe way to do the exit, caught in long shallows and riding surf threw the shallows, dominated by extensive fire coral beds, interspersed with spiny sea urchins. This side of Bonaire is best dived as a boat dive. Lesson learned.
SB's Cardzard located one very tiny lionfish at the site, Something Special, and we marked it for extraction by the Stinapa people. Another larger lionfish was located on the same site, earlier in the week we heard, and one was also found and marked be another dive team on our 3 tank boat dive to the park. I read that Dave, owners of IVS, also extracted an adult lionfish. Next year we should all keep our eyes open, and try to help slow the spread of this invasion.
We saw mating turtles, angel fish, file fish, sharp tail eels, and just about every variation of small fish. Must have been the phase of the moon, there was so much romance going on on the reef! We (I) got buzzed by a large turtle when we interrupted his romantic encounter, and I thought I might have to feed him my camera, he came so close to my face! Caught that encounter on the camera, before I finally killed my trusty DC600!
I dived several site that I had yet to visit, and the diving just kept getting better and better all week! It was so hard to leave after only 6 days, and already I am counting the days until next June, when DNY does their Invasionof Bonaire!!! ONLY 353 days to go!
Pics to follow, if they ever finish loading!
The only downside to last week was airlines, and that had nothing to do with Bonaire.
The airlines all seemed to be running a competition, to see who could do the worst $@#%&-up of the week!!! Missed connections, canceled flights, delays, lost luggage. Every airline, except the new one from Miami messed up big time, but Herman's experience won the prize for biggest $@#%^-up of the week, when his Continental home, ran into a mobile porta-potty and ripped the fuselage of their plane, grounding it !
The 10 SB members that Colleen and I stayed with were all well seasoned divers, and tons of fun to dive and spend SI with!
Due to a scheduling error on our part my girlfriend and I only had 6 days on Bonaire this trip, but I still did 22 dives. We had a ball! Great group of people, and fun to dive with. I hated to get on the plane and head home!
We also got the chance to do the new Buddy Dive, 3 tank Washington Slagbii Park boat dive, with my SB friend Herman, and his buddies, ScottyD and Tony, from NC, who were staying at Den Lamen. Very good dives, but unfortunately we didn't get to see the larger marine critters this area is known for on our dives. Maybe next year!?
Tues night's Barbecue at the plaza was a blast, and we met many more SB members there, who were on Bonaire at the same time. SB members from all over the US, and Holland too! Another, larger (@44 divers) group from my region, Indian Valley Scuba was also at the Plaza, so a lot of divers made new friends on this trip.
6 of us, in our group also did the Blue Hole site on the eastern, or Wild Side of the island, as a shore dive. THAT is one dive I do not suggest we do next year, unless we have some really really aggressive (read that crazy!), and tough divers in our group. While it was a truly awesome dive, with 7 rays and 6 turtles, unspoiled sea fans everywhere, and larger fish life than the western side, it was a rough entry, and a horribly painful exit! All 6 of us ended up riding surf into fire coral and/or urchins. Just seemed to be no safe way to do the exit, caught in long shallows and riding surf threw the shallows, dominated by extensive fire coral beds, interspersed with spiny sea urchins. This side of Bonaire is best dived as a boat dive. Lesson learned.
SB's Cardzard located one very tiny lionfish at the site, Something Special, and we marked it for extraction by the Stinapa people. Another larger lionfish was located on the same site, earlier in the week we heard, and one was also found and marked be another dive team on our 3 tank boat dive to the park. I read that Dave, owners of IVS, also extracted an adult lionfish. Next year we should all keep our eyes open, and try to help slow the spread of this invasion.
We saw mating turtles, angel fish, file fish, sharp tail eels, and just about every variation of small fish. Must have been the phase of the moon, there was so much romance going on on the reef! We (I) got buzzed by a large turtle when we interrupted his romantic encounter, and I thought I might have to feed him my camera, he came so close to my face! Caught that encounter on the camera, before I finally killed my trusty DC600!
I dived several site that I had yet to visit, and the diving just kept getting better and better all week! It was so hard to leave after only 6 days, and already I am counting the days until next June, when DNY does their Invasionof Bonaire!!! ONLY 353 days to go!
Pics to follow, if they ever finish loading!
The only downside to last week was airlines, and that had nothing to do with Bonaire.
The airlines all seemed to be running a competition, to see who could do the worst $@#%&-up of the week!!! Missed connections, canceled flights, delays, lost luggage. Every airline, except the new one from Miami messed up big time, but Herman's experience won the prize for biggest $@#%^-up of the week, when his Continental home, ran into a mobile porta-potty and ripped the fuselage of their plane, grounding it !
Good report, can't wait for the next trip, we have friends going in August to Buddy Dive. Wish I could make it
