Box jellies in Bonaire

[DandyDon]

Before taking gloves to Bonaire, be sure to read the park rules on the restrictions of the use of gloves for diving on Bonaire. They are quite prohibitive and the rangers will enforce them. I have found that advice from the locals on how to avoid contact with dangerous jellies is the best way to ensure a safe dive. If one uses gloves and is in violation of park rules by doing so, they must also accept the consequences should they be caught. Even though it is a personal safety measure, the park and many divers may not see it that way. Just food for thought.

Good suggestion. I'm not suggesting wearing the gloves other than on ascent - really good for mooring lines and ladders, too - but I've never been there.

 

[Boat Chick]

Good suggestion. I'm not suggesting wearing the gloves other than on ascent - really good for mooring lines and ladders, too - but I've never been there.

Gloves are prohibited on Bonaire period...you may not wear them for descent or ascent on mooring lines, or anywhere else unless you have a note from a physician, and then the BMP will give you a waiver that you must carry with you while diving.

 

[DandyDon]

Didn't know that the gloves nazis were there. Ok, so carry a couple of pint or quart baggies in your BC for ascents thru jellies.

 

[Spike_Digger]

Before taking gloves to Bonaire, be sure to read the park rules on the restrictions of the use of gloves for diving on Bonaire. They are quite prohibitive and the rangers will enforce them. I have found that advice from the locals on how to avoid contact with dangerous jellies is the best way to ensure a safe dive. If one uses gloves and is in violation of park rules by doing so, they must also accept the consequences should they be caught. Even though it is a personal safety measure, the park and many divers may not see it that way. Just food for thought.

The park bans the use of gloves, presumably because not having gloves provides strong motivation to not touch the coral with your hands. But that didn't seem to be a big issue. The big problem we saw was inexperienced photographers getting in close with their macro lenses, and kicking the coral with their fins. Not just incidental contact, but clobbering the coral as they struggled to maneuver in close. I'd like to think that incidents like that are rare, but it happened on most of the boat dives we went on. I would go as far as to say that the majority of the photographers that we observed on our boat dives kicked the coral. If STINAPA really wants to protect the coral, they would ban cameras as well as gloves, or make photographers demonstrate proficiency with buoyancy control and maneuvering in tight places, before getting a camera pass.

 

[livingstone]

...The big problem we saw was inexperienced photographers getting in close with their macro lenses, and kicking the coral with their fins. Not just incidental contact, but clobbering the coral as they struggled to maneuver in close. I'd like to think that incidents like that are rare, but it happened on most of the boat dives we went on. I would go as far as to say that the majority of the photographers that we observed on our boat dives kicked the coral. If STINAPA really wants to protect the coral, they would ban cameras as well as gloves, or make photographers demonstrate proficiency with buoyancy control and maneuvering in tight places, before getting a camera pass.

I fully agree with that! And thanks for speaking up. If the damage I saw "photographers" causing on Bonaire is a common occurrence, and I know that it is, these pristine reefs are in grave danger. There should at least be a minimum diving experience (100-150 dives [or a GUE Fundamentals certification]) required before a camera is allowed to be carried.

 

[scubaaaronh]

Ya i know the park doesn't allow gloves. I dont wear them anyways unless the water is less then 55 degrees, Just cant stand to wear gloves. I was just wondering about the torso area mainly whith the skin and shorty combo in case you bump into one you didn't see.

 

[DandyDon]

I fully agree with that! And thanks for speaking up. If the damage I saw "photographers" causing on Bonaire is a common occurrence, and I know that it is, these pristine reefs are in grave danger. There should at least be a minimum diving experience (100-150 dives [or a GUE Fundamentals certification]) required before a camera is allowed to be carried.

Gue? I never suggest a camera to newbies, but I have been admonished for even saying that on the board here. "I took one on my first trip!" Yeah, it's done - but I don't suggest it. Learn to dive first. Well, I didn't carry one my fist hundred dives. My home bud carries one of my old cams now with less than 100, but I have tried to be a good mentor in his diving development - I had to learn most of what I think I know the hard way.

 

[mnj1233]

I got a sting on the lip in April. Do not suspect a Box Jelly however its was quite an eye opener!!!!

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

How large are these things usually?

Here's the thread where I posted size info for the one we saw and photographed on Bonaire.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=164618&page=3

Based on some other posts in that thread, size varies, as might be expected by life phase perhaps.

I'm confident now Caribbean sea stings I've experienced were from siphonophores, and we got to see bunches of paired-bell siphonophores one day while diving Varsenbaai on Curacao this past March. Intense, but not nearly like a Portugese Mano'war, and short-lived (1 hour max - on ears, five minutes maybe on back of the hand for me), unlike Portugese Mano'war.

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

Gue? I never suggest a camera to newbies, but I have been admonished for even saying that on the board here. "I took one on my first trip!" Yeah, it's done - but I don't suggest it. Learn to dive first. Well, I didn't carry one my fist hundred dives. My home bud carries one of my old cams now with less than 100, but I have tried to be a good mentor in his diving development - I had to learn most of what I think I know the hard way.

Yeah, why single one agency out for a 'must have cert card to dive this island when using a camera'? For me, that's almost like living in a homeowners' association required house, something I've never done and most likely never will. That would simply give me more reasons to choose a different destination to spend my vacation $$$.