Bonaire today

[wwguy]

Thanks for bringing back some great memories KathyV! We miss both the Green Parrot and the Lion's Dive oceanfront restaurant. I'm pretty sure that the the dive operator at the Sand Dollar pier that was washed away was called Sand Dollar Dive & Photo. I know for sure they were there from 1996 through the summer of 1999 anyway.

We also miss the fun crew from Bon Bini Divers that used to operate out of Lions Dive condos before the storm. Buddy Dive's crew was great back then too. Both crews used to get together after work for happy hour back then. Some of you will probably recognize a few of the faces below from 1999. (Noticeably missing in this particular photo is Murph Henar, but I'm sure he was probably around somewhere.)

Here's a shot of a much younger version of myself on the Bon Bini Divers dock which is now the dock in front of Buddy Dive's dive and photo shops. In the background is the old Lions Den Oceanfront restaurant that was washed into the sea by waves from Lenny several months later.

Here's a shot taken earlier this week of the former site of that restaurant. (Photo from Buddy Dive's Facebook page).

 

[KathyV]

Thanks for the great pics, wwGuy! Those waves look very serious!

Now that I see the photo I do remember the Lions Den restaurant. I had remembered the Green Parrot but forgotten that one. The article at the link below discusses the end of the Sand Dollar Dive & Photo and the beginnings of Bonaire Dive & Adventure.

The first time we went to Bonaire was in 1995 and we stayed at the old Sunset House Hotel and dived with Sunset Divers; which is now the site of the new Coco Beach Club.

I miss Richard's Restaurant, it was our favorite and we once celebrated our anniversary with dinner under the tiki roof at the end of the pier - very special!

Some things are so different while others are still the same, but thank goodness that it is still Bonaire!

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[oldschoolto]

Hooker made it through the storm...

Jim..

 

[beaverdivers]

Water to 86° a chilly 83°at 120'.

Jim...

Thanks for all the updates! We are getting ready...

 

[redacted]

Hooker made it through the storm...

Jim..

What were the options?

 

[oldschoolto]

There was a lot of surge hitting the reef.. The super structure of the hooker is getting to the point that she will give way in a good storm... This was not it... As a old Northeast east wreck diver I have seen wrecks do funny stuff after heavy seas..

But, She is covered by a fine coating of sand... The cargo bays are under cut with a large "dune" pile of sand in front...

Jim...

 

[KathyV]

The Russian Frigate (renamed the Tibbetts) that was sunk as an artificial reef off of Cayman Brac in 1996 broke in half during a storm; I believe that it was Hurricane Ivan in 2004. There is now a debris field between the 2 sections.

 

[wwguy]

Susan Porter posted this on her Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy Facebook page this morning:

"Yesterday STINAPA had numerous groups doing coral assessment to document damage from Matthew. The results so far show damage much less than Omar. You can help the reef recover faster. Carefully wave your hand over silt covered corals and sponges so they can breathe once more.
We were very lucky."

 

[oldschoolto]

Bonaire is back to normal.... Come dive the greatest shore diving... And, We have no scuba police here....

Jim..

 

[CT Sean]