Bonaire trip report October 2015

[Joe K.]

This is our second trip to Bonaire, staying at the Buddy Dive resort. Overall it was excellent!

Transportation
We flew Insel Air from Miami to Aruba then Bonaire. The flights themselves were fine, but this is the second time we had issues with the ground crew. This is the second time the ground crew in Bonaire tries to make a quick buck by telling us we are overweight/too many bags, etc. Make sure to read their rules and avoid being scammed. As a diver you are entitled to check one regular bag (23kg) and one bag with dive equipment (10kg).

Transportation to Buddy dive was arranged by the resort, so no problems there. The rest of the time we used the trucks included in the dive package. Again, no problems but keep in mind these are stick shift, unless you specifically ask for an automatic (might cost extra – I don’t know). A few things to keep in mind: 1. If you plan on getting your own insurance for the truck – make sure pickup trucks are covered by your policy. This is not always the case. 2. Try getting an old beat up truck. This way nobody will care if it is scratched when you return it

The island
Very pleasant with temperatures in the high 80’s to mid 90’s. The air is pretty dry and there is always a breeze, so overall this was quite pleasant. This time around there were cruise ships coming in every day. This made traffic during town slow and you should try to avoid this area. I don't know if the cruise ships are a new thing and they clearly benefit the local economy. In the end the Island authorities will need to decide if the gain is worth the environmental impact.

We shopped at one of the local supermarkets for lunch and ate out for dinner. Average cost per person is about 25$ for dinner (alcohol not included). The capital, Kralendijk, has a few nice restaurants and local bars. We tried Wil's and the Cactus Blue food truck for lunch. Both were excellent for what they are.

Buddy Dive Resort:
Still the best choice, IMO. The hotel side of things is the weak part of the resort. Although the rooms were kept clean there were several maintenance issues. For example, our room had a bad odor coming from the bathroom and this was addressed only after repeated requests. Service at the hotel restaurant was extremely slow (even for Island time) and we opted to eat elsewhere because of this. The diving operation runs smoothly, tanks are readily available and the house reef is nice. Make sure to check the pressure of tanks before checking them out. During rush hours we sometimes got low fills, but nothing too dramatic.

Diving:
Logged 21 dives over 5-1/2 days. These up and down the coast. We did not do boat dives this trip. Visibility was excellent the first few days (60-80ft) and then started dropping towards the end of the week (40-50ft). Water temp was consistent, in the 80-82F range.

The reefs are in great condition, aside form the presence of Lionfish which has actually increased since about a year ago. I am not sure whether the lionfish issue is being addressed, but whatever is going on is not working. We saw many turtles, squid, octopus, lobster, eels, rays and many different reef fish species.

Highlight sites were La dania’s leap where you jump off a small overhang and swim North, exiting at another great dive site “Karpata”. Alice in Wonderland is very nice with 2 reef ridges. Can be done as 2 separate dives: one going North and the other going South. “Oil slick” is another nice dive and Buddy's Reef is always a good option.

 

[darook]

I agree with you that the reef looks in great shape. We did see a number of lion fish but those things are getting shot at a decent rate. I think they need to extend the license to kill beyond the locals to really eradicate them. That is unlikely though as they locals are making decent money selling them to the local eateries. Regardless, when humans find a a food they like it will be consumed!

Last week was the first time I did La Dania's leap and it won't be the the last. That site and Rappel are exceptional. Counting down the 13 weeks until I return!

 

[wwguy]

Great report. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share!

Transportation to Buddy dive was arranged by the resort, so no problems there. The rest of the time we used the trucks included in the dive package. Again, no problems but keep in mind these are stick shift, unless you specifically ask for an automatic (might cost extra – I don’t know). A few things to keep in mind: 1. If you plan on getting your own insurance for the truck – make sure pickup trucks are covered by your policy. This is not always the case. 2. Try getting an old beat up truck. This way nobody will care if it is scratched when you return it

Just to clarify: All of Buddy Dive's truck are manual transmission. If you want an automatic they'll arrange a 3rd-party rental for an incremental fee.

It's interesting to read that Buddy Dive has amended their truck rental agreement to permit renters to select their own insurance coverage. In previous years purchase of their CDW coverage was mandatory.

Buddy Dive Resort:
Still the best choice, IMO. The hotel side of things is the weak part of the resort. Although the rooms were kept clean there were several maintenance issues. For example, our room had a bad odor coming from the bathroom and this was addressed only after repeated requests. Service at the hotel restaurant was extremely slow (even for Island time) and we opted to eat elsewhere because of this. The diving operation runs smoothly, tanks are readily available and the house reef is nice. Make sure to check the pressure of tanks before checking them out. During rush hours we sometimes got low fills, but nothing too dramatic.

Just curious... why do you think Buddy Dive is the best choice if you've never stayed anywhere else? From your own report it appears that there were problems with the rooms, restaurant, and tank fills. We stayed at Buddy Dive our first couple of trips to Bonaire too. (Back in the 90's we used to dive with Bart and Murph from the small boat that's now part of the landscaping near the front entrance.) But once we started staying elsewhere, at several different properties over the years, we've never felt any desire to stay at Buddy Dive again. We do still stop by for Friday night rum punch parties though!

The reefs are in great condition, aside form the presence of Lionfish which has actually increased since about a year ago. I am not sure whether the lionfish issue is being addressed, but whatever is going on is not working. We saw many turtles, squid, octopus, lobster, eels, rays and many different reef fish species.

I agree with you that the reef looks in great shape. We did see a number of lion fish but those things are getting shot at a decent rate. I think they need to extend the license to kill beyond the locals to really eradicate them. That is unlikely though as they locals are making decent money selling them to the local eateries. Regardless, when humans find a a food they like it will be consumed!

Lionfish in the Caribbean are here to stay. Divers on Bonaire and elsewhere are not going to "eradicate" them because we only visit a very small portion of their habitat. The volunteer lionfish hunters on Bonaire are doing their best to cull new lionfish as they enter the marine park locations where they're permitted to dive. The speared lionfish are regularly replaced by new lionfish that move in to take their places. It's a never-ending cycle. I tip my hat (or mask?) to the lionfish hunters. Their hard work is much appreciated and I can't imagine what Bonaire's reefs would be like without them.

 

[Joe K.]

Just curious... why do you think Buddy Dive is the best choice if you've never stayed anywhere else? From your own report it appears that there were problems with the rooms, restaurant, and tank fills. We stayed at Buddy Dive our first couple of trips to Bonaire too. (Back in the 90's we used to dive with Bart and Murph from the small boat that's now part of the landscaping near the front entrance.) But once we started staying elsewhere, at several different properties over the years, we've never felt any desire to stay at Buddy Dive again. We do still stop by for Friday night rum punch parties though!





Lionfish in the Caribbean are here to stay. Divers on Bonaire and elsewhere are not going to "eradicate" them because we only visit a very small portion of their habitat. The volunteer lionfish hunters on Bonaire are doing their best to cull new lionfish as they enter the marine park locations where they're permitted to dive. The speared lionfish are regularly replaced by new lionfish that move in to take their places. It's a never-ending cycle. I tip my hat (or mask?) to the lionfish hunters. Their hard work is much appreciated and I can't imagine what Bonaire's reefs would be like without them.

Although we stayed at Buddy's, we visited a couple of other sites to assess. While others might have better dining options, nicer rooms, etc., we felt that Buddy's was still the best option given the dive operation side of things. The accessibility and level of service were the main driving factors in forming my opinion. Obviously, we did not visit every operator on the Island so we might have missed a better option. YMMV.

As far as the Lion Fish problem, you are correct. There are no methods currently available to achieve complete eradication. However, even partial culling can go a long way. This is based on recent research reported in a number of journals and I refer you to Pala, C., "As Lionfish Invade, Divers Defend Threatened Ecosystems", Science, 7 February 2104 (343), 591 and references within. The simple truth is that of the authorities allowed/promoted responsible eradication by divers, the situation would likely improve. Why they are not actively doing this, is only speculation.

 

[Doctorfish]

I've stayed at Plaza, Buddy Dive, Sand dollar, Habitat and Divi over the years and think that Buddy's has the best balance of house reef, dive op, pool bar, breakfast of the bunch. The rooms are somewhat dated and certainly not luxe, but overall, the experience IMO is a good one. I like the convenience of breakfast, restaurant, drive and dive and dive op on site so have not gone the condo route.