SNORKELING & DIVING:
Richard dived a couple of times years ago and I just learned to swim 30 days prior to leaving for Bonaire. So as a compromise, we decided to focus on snorkeling this time. We snorkeled twice a day and together took an Introductory to Scuba Diving course with Mananita of Bon Bini Divers. I must admit I was still not very confident in open water but Mananita, with her patience and gentle encouragement, helped me overcome my apprehension and made my dream of diving come true. We descended to forty feet off Bon Bini's dock, sighted a barracuda, squid and a juvenile flounder. It was more than I hoped for. Thank you, Mananita.
Following are sites we snorkeled.
Windsock - It has the best visibility of all sites we snorkeled. Sea-life sighted include rainbow parrotfish, adult and juvenile Princess Parrotfish, French grunts, Smooth Trunk fish, adult and juvenile Blue Tangs. It was my first time ever learning to identify marine life. Saw more than I could identify but I was exhilarated watching them busy with their activities.
Sorobon Beach - Lots of Silversides, juvenile French grunts, Hogfish and Schoolmasters.
Reef Scientifico - Yellow goatfish, Trumpetfish, Bi-color Damselfish, juvenile 3 Spotted Damsels, Brown Chromis, Sergeant Majors, Blue Tangs, male and female Bluehead wrasse, Hogfish, Banded Butterflyfish, Stoplight Parrotfish, Redband Parrotfish, and Princess Parrotfish.
Beach at Sand Dollar Resort - Beaugregory, Yellowtail Damsel, Sergeant Majors, Spanish Hogfisf, Green Razorfish, male and female Bluehead Wrasse, Stoplight Parrots, Princess parrots, Redband Parrots, Bridled Gobies, Color Gobies, Cleaning Gobies, Surgeonfish, Smooth Trunkfish, Small Mouth Grunts, Fairy Basslets, Tiger Grouper, Black Bar Soldier, and Trumpetfish.
However, we met completely different residents while night snorkeling at the same spot: Spiny Lobster, Snooks, Tarpons, Soapfish, Ballonfish, and juvenile Spotted Drums.
Bachelors Beach - The morning that we went the beach was pounded by big surfs which kicked up lots of sand and made visibility poor.
Invisibles- Elkhorn coral, Christmas Tree worms, White Scroll coral, lots of cleaning station activities, Tiger groupers, Red Hinds, Harlequin Bass, Doctorfish, and Surgeonfish.
No Name Beach, Klein Bonaire – Peacock flounder, Palometas, Yellow jacks, Horse-eye jacks, and barracudas.
1000 Steps – Spotted Filefish and Tiger Groupers. The surf was quite strong the day we went.