Preppin' for Trip 7

[darook]

Thanks for the update. Is Murphin back at the dive shop? When I was there last summer he was off island having a medical procedure done. Murphin is a great divemaster; good eyes, patient, speaks about 5 languages and enthusiastic about what is underwater. I will sometimes go out for a boat dive at Buddy Dive just to have the opportunity to dive with him.

Since we are only shore diving I am not real familiar with who is working in the shop. One guy I know is working there but he is new at Buddy. They have lots of groups this week so the boats are crazy busy.

 

[darook]

Had fun diving with Murky Waters yesterday though I was a little off my game from tummy perspective in the morning. We did the Cliff to Buddy dive which is a really fun and always lots to see.

If you want to see short, hastily edited videos of days 1-3 you can see them here:Bruce Piburn

 

[Jersey]

By the way, the rotisserie chicken at Blennies isn't too bad either. Cheap, fresh and generous serving size. Not a bad place to eat after a night dive. The tables right on the water are great in terms of the view and breeze.

They used to do a Weds $10 Night Dive and Dine - limited to fish or chicken w/ rice and small salad - but it was the best! Nothing like coming back hungry and thirsty to a cold Polar and rotisserie chicken.

And yes, Murph is an icon (really like all their team, quite a bunch of characters). He has posted fabulous old pics on his FB page from Buddy back in the day before the bar, the pool and palm trees when the dive shop was a shack at the waters edge.

 

[darook]

Red Beryl, Cliff and 1000 Steps today. All three were great. We agreed that once we were out to the drop the viz was the best at 1000 Steps. Turtles at all three sites. This was my first time at Red Beryl and hopefully won't be the last. Had to descend immediately and surface in the break to avoid getting clipped by a kite board or their chase boats. It was worth the peril.

 

[diver0008]

 

[diver0008]

South is a much better experience. It's similar to Candyland, only even "bigger" in my opinion. North has significant dead coral as the reef changes shape as it nears Playa Frans. It's not as steep to the north and there aren't as many dramatic hard corals, canyons, and ridges etc.

My favorite sites, reinforced from my latest trip to Bonaire last week are:

1. All the National Park sites, particularly Boca Bartol
2. CandyLand and Tailor Made
3. La Dania's Leap to Karpata
4. The Lake
5. Most of the sites between White Slave and Willemstoren Lighthouse

 

[darook]

Thursday Sites: Invisibles, Red Slave and Buddy's Reef. Two Eagle Rays at RS yesterday and of course lots of Barracuda.
Friday Sites: Red Slave, the Lake and Buddy's Reef

 

[diver0008]

Thursday Sites: Invisibles, Red Slave and Buddy's Reef. Two Eagle Rays at RS yesterday and of course lots of Barracuda.
Friday Sites: Red Slave, the Lake and Buddy's Reef

I also saw a couple of eagle rays, at the W.Lighthouse cruising at about 120-ft.

Also saw 2 great barracuda (I think) on 2 separate occasions in the shallows. One at the W.Lighthouse and one at Vista Blue. Between 5 and 6 feet long and much darker in colour. I kept my distance but when these creatures decided they wanted to leave they went from quite close to gone faster that anything I've seen underwater.

 

[darook]

Finally getting some still pictures up from last week's trips. You can see them here: Bonaire 2016 - Photos by Bruce Piburn - 500px