Bonaire Signature Night Dives?

[deco_martini]

I will preempt the answer "all of them". Since I am a first timer, I'd like to do to make sure to hit all the signature night dives.

From my own research:
UV Dive w/ Bas (usually at Something Special)
Town Pier (is there any dive op that has permission to do this anymore?)
Salt Pier
Hilma Hooker

Any more to add to that list?

 

[DiverVince]

Well personally I'd eliminate the last 3 on your list (I believe diving is precluded at Salt Pier & Town pier, and for me HH is too deep for a night dive). However, Something Special should be a GREAT night dive which come to think of I've never done since I usually prefer a warm shower right after the dive.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Bari Reef is an excellent night dive IMO.

Edit

This video was taken with a simple P&S camera but it was a thrill for me none the less. This was shot at Bari Reef in 2007.

 

[diversteve]

Bari Reef is an excellent night dive IMO.

That's what I would've thought also - it's has the most counted species of fish in the Caribbean so must be busy at night. And an easy entry plus it's easy to spot the exit between the condo complexes.

Habitat might be another option - both LaMachaca and Cliff dive sites are accessible from their dive dock. And they light up the water for RumRunner's guests to bring the tarpon in to feed - they'll do it over your shoulder in your light also. Small charge to dive there if you're not a guest. But they have lockers and hot showers - IIRC - in front of the dive dock.

Unless it's a full-moon, I personally wouldn't try most of the south dive sites, there's no lights except what you bring. Getting through/over the ironshore is more than I'd want to attempt in the dark. Bring an extra flashing strobe and clip it off to the mooring ball rope if you do, you should be able to see it a long way off.

Where are you staying? If on the water, most of the house reefs are pretty good to excellent also. At BelMar they used to have lights under the pier/water. It's not a great dive but would be hard to get lost there - btw from the water, there's two very similar white condo complexes - BelMar is the right one IIRC - my buddy got all the way to the other one b4 he realized it...

 

[halocline]

Oddly enough, I was really disappointed with the night dives in Bonaire, although I've only done a few of them. I think they were at Something Special and the house reef at Buddy dive, one more that I can't remember. All were surprisingly barren of nocturnal life.

I had high expectations too, that might have had something to do with it.

 

[Maine Diver]

Do the UV night dive with Bas. It's awsome. He's a great guide.

 

[jcroy66]

My husband and I love night dives. I'd trade a day drive for a night dive any time. On Bonaire, I really really enjoyed doing dawn dives, but the night dive on Bari Reef was the most boring dive I've ever done in the Caribbean (day or night). Having the tarpon zoom over your shoulder when hunting by your dive light was wild, but everything else seemed to know better than to come out (and get eaten).

A DM we talked to at a restaurant on our last day recommended a site in town. Think it might have been the Plaza's house reef but silly me didn't write it down. Anyway we will give some other sites a try when we return to Bonaire next month.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Plaza's house reef is 18 Palms, and I thought it was an outstanding night dive. Better yet, get up early enough to be in the water before daylight and watch the "shifts" change ... a wonderful way to work up an appetite for breakfast ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[dolesorchard]

We did four night dives last November, the best by far being Bas's uv night dive at the Cliff. The other night dives we did were all about the tarpon hunting with our lights. As for Bari, we only dove it as a day dive, twice. The first dive was the most boring dive of our trip, virtually nothing to mention was to be found. We were talking to some people at lunch one day and they told us where to find a seahorse there and we went back and had one of the best dives of our trip.

 

[robint]

we loved our night dives at Buddy's house reef! BUT you have to make sure you are getting in the water after it has been dark at least an hour. You won't see much right at sunset. Around 9-10pm it seemed like the entire reef system came alive for a party!

robin