Trip Report Bonaire March 2024–Dead reefs

[tursiops]

I am replying to his post mentioning Aruba and asking for a report. I would think he would post it in the Aruba forum. Jeez

He is off topic too.

 

[scuba127]

I've been shore diving Bonaire for almost 25 years now. Yeah, climate change and SCLTD are a problem today. But the bigger problem, imo, is Bonaire is being over dove compared to 25 years ago. I'm not going to defend Bonaire;'s reefs here because I see first timers who won't go back as a positive sign. I go to Bonaire 3 times a year and was just there in February. I couldn't believe the number of trucks on the dive sites. The primary reason for reef degradation on Bon became clear to me. Apparently the island has caved to mass tourism and that is, imo, the biggest problem for Bonaire's reefs. I know thats easy for me to say because I'm not the one that would be losing revenue by a cut back in tourism. Given my opinion on this if I was STINAPA, and I've posted this before, along with their antibiotic treatment of SCLTD and coral replantation efforts, should start temporarily closing sites on a rotational basis to allow them to recover from diver damage at least to some degree. Maybe they should start with 1000 Steps since 95% of the coral there are dead according to this thread. It wouldn't kill anyone to stay off 1000 Steps, for example, for a few months. Maybe sink a few more wrecks to take some pressure off the reefs. Just my 2 PSI of course.

 

[Centrals]

Diving around the Caribbean is still worth it. And I do think Bonaire has been one of the nicest places I’ve dived in the Caribbean.

Just…enjoy it while it’s around.

It’s important for all of us to keep in mind that the reefs in the Caribbean have been in decline since the 80s when all the stag horn and elk horn corals died off. Then the urchin die off. Then the lion fish invasion. Then bleaching due to increasing sea temps. And SCTLD to top it all off. If we can’t find ways to help the reefs recover, they will be gone.

"Enjoy it while it is around"!! What else can we do?
I have been diving in Puerto Galera in Philippines well over 20 yrs and the decline is quite alarming!!
This phenomenon probably happens in many places.

 

[tursiops]

according to this thread.

But this is unsupported nonsense.

 

[scuba127]

Of course it is....I was being sardonic.

 

[Joneill]

Can you do a little report on Aruba? I go every year but this year I am debating on bringing my gear. Thanks.

I’ll IM you later to avoid infuriating the forum police guy!

 

[tursiops]

Of course it is....I was being sardonic.

How is a reader to know this? All we can do is go by what you have said, not by what you think you meant.

 

[scuba127]

Fair point...

 

[Joneill]

He is off topic too.

You must be a blast at parties… I’d suggest you need to relax a bit… folks were commenting on the state of the reefs in Bonaire and it led to comments on the state of the Caribbean in general. Seems logical extensions of the conversation and not so off topic to evolve a discussion a bit. I’ll just avoid participating in threads that you think you own in the future…

 

[tursiops]

You must be a blast at parties… I’d suggest you need to relax a bit… folks were commenting on the state of the reefs in Bonaire and it logically led to comments on the state of the Caribbean in genreral. Seems logical extensions of the conversation and not so l-off topic to evolve a discussion a bit. I’ll just avoid participating in thread that you think you own in the future…

Nah...4 pages clearly on one topic, per the title. St art another thread if you wnt to talk about a different subject. Otherwise, why are there threads?