Top 5 places to scuba dive & snorkel on Bonaire
Welcome to diver's paradise
The island of Bonaire, in the Caribbean Netherlands, has a lot to offer scuba divers and snorkelers. With our turquoise blue waters, swimming pool-like conditions, vibrant and bustling coral reefs, environmentally sustainable practices in place to conserve the marine park - it truly is any ocean lover's paradise.
I've been lucky enough to call this island my home for some time now, and through my work as a scuba diving instructor, I work closely with visitors of the island who often want to know where they can dive while their families snorkel, or vice versa. In this guide, I've come up with my top 5 sites that include easy entry points, beautiful reef, abundant aquatic life and can be enjoyed by everyone on the surface, and below!
#1: Red Beryl
IMO the most underrated dive/snorkel site on the island! This site not only offers a sandy beach perfect for lounging and tanning on sunny days, but it has an easy entrance and healthy, vibrant coral reef that lies a short swim out from shore. Once you're in the water - be sure to swim to the right and either dive along the beautiful sloping bottom or snorkel along the edge of the reef.
Since this is also a sea turtle nesting beach, watch out for Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire's markers indicating a nest in the area and steer clear!
Insider tip: Since Red Beryl is located next to the Atlantis Kite Surfing Beach, sectioned off with buoys in the water, kite surfers may sometimes venture outside of their designated area and into the neighboring sites. I recommend getting here before 9am or skipping this site if there are many kite surfers in the water.
#2 Salt Pier
"We saw nothing at Salt Pier!" - said no one, ever. Try it out and see why the pier is the island's most popular site for diving and snorkeling.
The platforms and underwater pilings that we swim and dive around are part of an active solar salt facility that produces one of Bonaire's largest exports. There is something especially unique about seeing nature take over a man-made structure like this. The pilings that support the pier are covered in a variety of sponges, encrusting coral and fish nests - watch out for those territorial sergeant majors!
This is a popular site for snorkelers and divers who can appreciate the site's shallow reef, abundance of sea turtles, and wide range of aquatic animals that can be found here.
Keep in mind that if there is a ship at the pier, it will be closed for all swimming and diving until the ship departs.
Insider tip: To avoid the crowds, arrive before 9am and enter the water on the Southern side. There is a large wooden crate at the pier filled with excess salt from the facility, which is open for the public to take as free souvenirs!
#3 1000 Steps
Don't be fooled by the name - this picturesque bay only asks that you descend 50-60 steps to get down to its captivating shore! Nestled at the bottom of the stairs and beneath the cliffside is this protected bay that divers and snorkelers adore.
The bay offers a variety of healthy hard and soft coral that populate the shallows and continue through to the main section of the reef, which has a fairly steep drop off. There is an abundance of reef fish and a few sea turtles can be spotted here too. The beach consists mostly of rock and coral skeleton so water shoes and camping chairs are recommended for maximum comfort, and shade is available, though limited.
Insider tip: Don't visit on cruise ship days or weekends to avoid the crowds, and if you have your own wheels - remember the road becomes a one-way after this point!
#4 Andrea 1 & 2
Technically these are two neighboring sites on the northern side of the island near the Saint Barbara Heights neighbourhood, locally known as Sabadeco. Andrea 1 and 2 have a beautiful and healthy coral reef that begins close to shore, and becomes more dense the further out you swim. You can see plenty of aquatic life here including octopus, sea turtles, abundant reef fish, moray eels and more!
There are shaded spots to sit and relax on the edge of the shore, a camping chair is recommended since this area is quite rocky.
Insider tip: Enter at Andrea 1 and swim right/north towards Andrea 2 (marked by the yellow mooring) - that way you can tick off two sites in one dive or snorkel.
#5 Pink Beach
Pink Beach is the picture of a Caribbean getaway. This site is on the Southern coast of our little island, and is note-worthy due to its white sand and palm trees dotting the edge of the beach.
This is a great spot to explore for both snorkelers and scuba divers. While the swim out to the reef is further than the other sites mentioned, it is definitely worth it. The reef is populated with a variety of hard and soft coral, and this site offers large schools of fish and an abundance of marine life.
Insider tip: Shade is limited here, so ensure you either get here early to find a good spot under one of the trees, or bring a beach umbrella!
Respecting the marine park
I wouldn't be a responsible island resident or conservationist if I didn't give you a heads up about our marine park rules before your trip. So in order to be an environmentally conscious traveller, which I know that you are ;) here are some tips:
- There is a nature fee that needs to be paid in order to enter the marine park as well as Washington Slagbaai National Park.
- Divers are required to complete an orientation dive upon arrival to their dive shop.
- There are clearly designated entry/exit points along the edge of the water that must be used. I like to think of these as a hiking trail - they mark the easiest point of entry/exit and ensure we don't trample the "bush" on either side of the trail. These are marked with the signature yellow "entry/exit" stones, or if those aren't present there will be another distinguishable marking to show you where to go.
- You saw a sea turtle while diving or snorkeling? That's amazing! Just remember to stay calm, do not obstruct their access to the surface, let the animal control the encounter and maintain a respectful distance. All of my most memorable encounters with turtles have been when I have done this.
- The golden rule of marine parks everywhere? Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles!
Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed this guide, feel free to check out my other travel guides available on Thatch, I mostly curate experiences for sustainable travelers, nature lovers and scuba divers, but even I venture out to some pretty exciting cities too. If you are interested in my adventures as a scuba diving instructor living in the Caribbean - connect with me on Instagram.
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