Bonaire visibility issue

[mark01]

Just finished 6 days of diving in Bonaire. I estimate viz varied from 50 -70 feet most places and got down to maybe 30 or so feet on one dive. I was there in January of this year and the first day of diving I had pretty typical visibility and it seemed to decrease as the week went on. Dive professionals on the island just seem to shrug it off saying they don't know what's up. Seems like there is a lot of particulate matter in the water. If memory serves historically viz has been easily 100 feet and more. Anyone know or care to speculate on this?

TIA
Mark

 

[oldschoolto]

The car thief's are dumping crap in the water to hide what they are doing... I think they are using the Mayor's boat and the police chiefs motor to do it..

Jim...

 

[CuracaoJ]

The area has been having some upwelling lately with stronger currents and cooler temps.

 

[Kharon]

First time I was there the vis was disappointing. I went in January and they had been having daily rain storms every day since September. Highly unusual. When I went back a couple years later in September the vis was great.

 

[chillyinCanada]

CuracaoJ, similar situation when I was in your vicinity in April. I'd accepted that the cool/cold upwellings were a factor from the two earthquakes that had occurred shortly before our arrival. Have there been more rumbles since March?

 

[CuracaoJ]

I suspect that it has a lot more to do with wind than rumbles, but I could easily be wrong. All I know is in 13 years here, I've never seen this for this length of time. It's cold and ****@y and I want my dive sites back!!!!