Bonaire Sports & Outdoors Tips by diver-x Top 5 Page for this destination

Dive site: White Slave

On the south side of Bonaire, there is very little development except for the salt production. With no development and a flat landscape, the dive sites are easy to find. They're marked on the side of the road with painted yellow stones with the dive site name. You'll find maps everywhere showing you where the marked sites are. The White Slave site is easy to find because of the cluster of small, white shacks on the beach. A historic marker tells you that slaves once lived there when they were forced to work in the salt trade. It's nice to get a little history lesson in with your diving!

Theme: Scuba Diving

Website: http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/BonaireS/White_Slave/index.htm

Dive Site: Oil Slick Leap

Oil Slick Leap is a popular site with an easy giant-stride entry from a rock ledge. There's a ladder there for an easy exit too. The reef is just a few kicks away!

Theme: Scuba Diving

Website: http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/BonaireN/Oil_Slick_Leap/index.htm

Dive site: Hilma Hooker

The most remarkable wreck that we saw at Bonaire was the Hilma Hooker. She was impounded by the govt in 1984 when she was found to be carrying a bunch of marijuana. A few months later, she was taken out of the harbor and anchored at her present spot when she was found to be leaking oil. A few days later, she mysteriously sank. Today, she's an underwater tourist attraction, and a hangout for barracuda and tarpon. The viz wasn't very good here, and the reef is fairly worn since this is a very popular spot. You can easily penetrate the wreck, which sits at 90 feet at its deepest.

Theme: Scuba Diving

Website: http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/BonaireS/Hilma_Hooker/index.htm

Dive site: Alice in Wonderland

For some reason, the visiblity wasn't as good here as at Atlantis, but it was still a darn good dive, and not a whole lot different than the rest of the southern dive sites. It's right across the street from the pink evaporation pans of the salt factory.

Theme: Scuba Diving

Website: http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/BonaireS/Alice_In_Wonderland/index.htm

Dive Site: Atlantis

Atlantis was my favorite dive on Bonaire. The visibility was great, the coral was fabulous, and I got lost in a school of fish. That's a near-perfect dive in my book. Perfection would have been if a whale shark lumbered by, but we can't have everything, can we?

Getting in & out is a little tricky, with a few rocks to stumble over in the shallows, but just hold onto your buddy & you'll be fine.

Theme: Scuba Diving

Website: http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/BonaireS/Atlantis/index.htm

Dive site: Red Slave

Way down on the south side of Bonaire, the Red Slave dive site is the last sheltered site on the south-western tip of the island. The next site down, Willemstoren Lighthouse, usually has rougher surf and has a more technical entry. Red Slave has a much easier entry with calmer waves and is another great dive in Paradise! The site is easily found, similar to White Slave, by the tiny, red, former slave cabins clustered on the beach.

Theme: Scuba Diving

Website: http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/BonaireS/Red_Slave/index.htm

Log Some Bottom Time

Scuba diving in Bonaire is almost as good as in Grand Cayman, though I think I have to give Cayman the edge for visibility and reef health. But Bonaire is right up there too. If money is an object, then I'd recommend Bonaire over Cayman, since lodging and food are much more affordable there. There are also more shore diving opportunities in Bonaire.

Equipment: Gloves are not allowed in Bonaire. You may want to wear a full suit to protect against scrapes. Sometimes while getting in & out of the water you can get knocked around by waves or slip on the rocks. I was glad I had the full suit when I compared by legs & arms to Cliff, who only wears a shorty.

Directions: Most shore diving is on the western side of Bonaire.

Theme: Scuba Diving