Hi from Bonaire!

[herman]

Glad you are home safe and had a good time. I start packing this week, gotta go hug and kiss Moma Lou, my favorite way to start a Bonaire vacation..

 

[JeffG]

Current vis is running around 40ft (maybe due to the rain that supposedly fell last night....I didn't hear/see it)

Temp is 79 deg...drops to 77 at 70 ft

 

[robint]

Looking forward to our first trip in June. Robin, be sure to give your impressions of the must dive sites in your trip report.

I am working on my report right now but photos and videos are going to be in a week or two so I will post it then.
Sites you must dive? I have a few favorites, but then again, it all depends on weather and what you want to see.
Hit Buddy's house reef at 100' and you are going to see the monster dog snapper, barracuda, and Charlie the tarpon.
Hit La Machaca wreck, between Buddy's and Capt Don's at around 40' and you will see a huge school of jacks every day.
Stay shallow, 40-60' on any reef and you will see almost every fish in the Fish ID book for the Caribbean. I have never seen so many creole wrasse(schools of hundreds), tangs (schools of 40-60), and brown chromis (schools of thousands) as we did this trip. Also, within 20' of you on any dive you are going to see at least one trumpetfish (one of my absolute favorites).
The double reef system down south side of island has more big fish, huge angels, jacks, maybe eagle rays, etc.
The sloping wall up north side of island has more huge sponges and fields of coral, particularly mushroom forest types.

The Hilma Hooker wreck is big and very cool. The reef next to it is very nice, too. Spend half your dive on wreck, half on that reef on shore side.

Everyone last week who got down to Invisibles said it was their best dive of week. We saw several people getting in the water down by Red Slave on Friday (our no dive day) and the water looked pretty calm. We still haven't done this dive (always waves too high and too rough) but everyone we met who has says it is the best dive on island. I recommend heading down there early in the am if weather is calm, and if you get there and seas are rough, head back north and stop at Invisibles, Angel City, or Alice in Wonderland. They are just around the island curve enough that wind/wave action is less.

robin

 

[herbdb]

Thanks, I am taking notes in my guide book.

 

[jepuskar]

I need to quit visiting this section...especially since my next trip wont be till next year. :sigh:

 

[BDSC]

I won't be going to Bonaire this year but it's the first year I've missed in several. Over the past few years, I've found the sites on the north end to have better vis and I think more life. Karpata, 1000 Steps, Old Blue are some really nice sites as is Oil Slick Leap.

Also, be sure to go to Casablanca to eat and get the "Mixed Grill for Two". It's more like a mixed grill for 4 or 6!