Sharing with everyone some notes from 2023' on dive sites for Klein, Bonaire Island
** Although some sites are closed for 2024' per STINAPA website
A: No Name - This dive lies directly in front of No Name Beach at 30-100 feet. Currents are mild; however, the coral is sparse. The sandy bottom is home to rays and large school masters. Used for diver training, home to yellow-headed jawfish and black sailfin blennies, flounder, goatfish, shark, or turtle.
B: Ebo’s Reef - 40–100-foot site has light to moderate currents. Giant orange elephant ear sponges that are topped off with numerous black feather crinoids.
C: Jerry’s Reef / Jerry’s Sponges - Currents are moderate with depth of 30-100 feet. Chironomids abound, large elephant ear sponges. Lots of black coral. Barracuda hanging out at descend, turtles, drum fish, sand diver, spotted eel, huge school of blue tangs, this site is also known for elephant ear sponges, dolphins.
D: Just A Nice Dive - This dive, with mild currents and depth ranges of 20-100 feet. Abundant yellow pencil coral and leaf or sheet corals. Lots of schooling fish, ocean trigger fish
E: (61) Nearest Point - Moderate currents and depths ranging from 20-100 feet. Stony mountain corals in the drop-off area. At lower depths, black coral, orange, and purple tube sponges.
F: Keepsake – Closed
G: (60) Bonaventure - Moderate currents and a 20–100-foot depth. Soft coral in the shallows. Angelfish often accompany divers up and down the reef.
H: Monte’s Divi Tree - Currents mild, sea horse. Depth ranges from 15-100 feet, with large stands of elk horn coral. Lone divi divi tree stands guard on shore, directly opposite the mooring site.
I: Rock Pile - Shallow (15-100 feet) mild to moderate currents. Green moray eel is often seen hiding among the boulder coral. The mooring lies directly offshore from a pile of rocks on the shore.
J: (59) Joanne’s Sunchi - A dive site with 20–100-foot depths and moderate currents, has lots of sand chutes and large tube sponges.
K: Capt. Don’s Reef - Ranging from 20-100 feet with mild currents, Capt. Don’s Reef has a plaque dedicated to Bonaire’s pioneer diver, Don Stewart.
L: (58) South Bay - This dive has mild to moderate currents and depths ranging from 30-100 feet. Groupers and schools of horse-eye jacks.
M: Hands Off - Mild currents and depth of 30-122 feet, rays, turtles, cleaning stations, wrasse, shrimps, cod, grouper, tarpon, angelfish
N: (57) Forest - 25-100 feet, mild to moderate currents. Forest was named for the abundance of soft coral found in the shallows, especially black coral. Large cave at 75 feet, sea horses in the shallows, cleaner wrasse, manta rays, nurse shark, jacks
O: (56) Southwest Corner - 15-130 feet, mild to moderate currents. Black Durgeons and yellow tail snappers, sharks, large fish, turtles, grunts, eels, sea plums and fans
P: (55) Munk’s Haven - Mild to moderate currents, site ranges from 20-100 feet. Lush soft coral in the shallows, large, sculptured coral heads in the drop-off area. Large groupers are often seen at cleaning stations.
Q: (54) Twixt - Closed
R: Sharon’s Serenity - Moderate currents, average depth of 20-100 feet, elk horn and stag horn coral, varieties of soft coral. Large groupers, basket star fish.
S: (53) Valerie’s Hill - 30-100 feet. mild current, sponges, and plentiful black coral. Scrawled file fish and gray parrot fish.
T: (52) Mi Dushi - OK diving. A frogfish, lobster, eel, cleaner shrimp, school of blue tangs, huge trumpet, queen angel.
U: (50) Carl’s Hill / Yellow Man – 20–100-foot photographer's dream has light to moderate currents for the intermediate diver. The main feature is the sheer wall that begins 20 yards offshore and drops to a sandy bottom at 70 feet. Barracudas and bar jacks are often seen here, as well as schools of blue tangs.
V: (51) Carl's Hill Annex / Punt P’abou - This was about a 15-minute boat ride from the marina, light to moderate current, sheer wall from 20 to 70 ft to see frogfish, large seahorse, trumpet, small eels, cleaner purple shrimp, flounder, school of black durgeons, arrow crabs. Max depth 73 feet and visibility was about 75-80 feet.
W: (49) Ebo’s Special /Jerry’s Jam – Cave in shallows is home to large groupers, nurse shark.
X: (48) Leonora’s Reef - One site east of Carl’s Hill. Currents moderate depth of 20-80 feet with huge plate coral and mountainous star coral. There is a small tunnel through the coral that makes an ideal frame for a picture. Tiger groupers, parrot fish, yellowtail snappers, and four-eye butterfly fish.
Y: (47) Knife - current pretty strong. Horse-eyed jacks, porcupine fish, brittle stars. squid.
Z: (46) Sampler - 20–100-foot site, light to moderate currents. Angelfish, sand divers, yellowhead jawfish, sailfin blennies