Bonaire Trip Report June 7 to June 18

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All photographs are the exclusive property of myself and any other use or reproduction is very much encouraged (attribution would be nice). They are for the enjoyment of all. Most of the photo's in this report are on another site and can be seen by clicking on the description. They will load in a separate window and you can continue reading while they are loading. By using another server the pictures can be bigger than 50k, although not by much. They are made to be full screen. Enjoy.

Planning

After talking about this trip and hanging out on Bonaire Talk for so long there were not many decisions to make. I knew we wanted to stay, at the Plaza due to the beach, I knew we had a choice between American Airlines and Air Jamaica. I also knew that Caradonna Travel was a popular choice for a travel agent. We booked shortly after the Iraq war and Air Jamaica had cut their schedule, which left only AA for an airline. Dee at Caradonna got back to me with a price for the package but the airline price was higher than what I had seen on-line, she told me to book it. I did and got a great price still had to believe I could get a cheaper price than a travel agent!

That took care of the room and airline tickets, I procrastinated on the car rental and a week and half before the trip I started looking. After getting some ridiculously high quotes I called Dee back at Caradonna and a few hours later she got back to me with a great price on an extended cab truck ($300 for 11 days).

The Trip

We suffered through several boughts of Pre-Bonaire Depression/Anxiety and the normal "what do I pack" issues. We finally managed to cram it all in our bags, it was very depressing to me in that Sue had one bag and I had two. Finally the day came and we loaded the minivan and off we went to Logan Airport in Boston. We tried to check in at the curb, no way for an overseas destination. Fortunately the line was quick as was security although Sue did get to unpack and pack one of her carry-ons. We had drinks and Burger King sandwiches, strange combo but it worked.

The plane backed out 5 minutes early (an omen for all our travel). An almost 4 hour flight, another meal and a movie that we had not seen (Two Weeks Notice, I think). That combined with an open seat between us made for a pleasant flight. We arrived in San Juan early and had time to get some booze at the duty free shop (slightly cheaper than New Hampshire, but much more convenient). The Bonaire passengers loaded into a bus and off we went to the plane. This was the flight that worried me the most, as it was a relatively long flight over open water in a smaller plane. Not to worry a very pleasant flight, that combined with an awesome sunset and ham and cheese sandwiches, what more could you ask?

The wait for the luggage seemed to take forever, not sure whether the baggage handlers were on island time or I was stressing. Finally all the bags arrived and through customs we went. I am still amazed at what was on the other side! There was a mess of people there (Pic 1, Pic 2), most of whom we had never met before but they had spent some of their valuable vacation to welcome us to Bonaire. We were deeply honored and gratified. I was also severely dumbfounded (another omen for this trip). Among all the signs about lost virginity and purple thongs I totally missed the rental car lady who only had a small sign that said Cecil Berry. I walked over to her office and it was closed, a quick walk back to the terminal and there she was with her sign. A few minutes to do paperwork and off we went into the darkness following Martin and Angela to the Plaza.

The plan was for us to check-in, drop off the luggage and catch up with everyone at Casablanca's. The Plaza even in the dark is very pretty and very spread out. A quick check-in and rum punch and off we went trailing the bellhop to the room. A short walk over a bridge over the boat channel and down a tree covered walkway we arrived at C111 our home for the next 11 nights. We were on the second floor and the room was huge. A very strange layout with two double beds on one side of the room a huge space across the room and dressers and the bathrooms on the other side. Sliding glass door opened up to a large deck overlooking a walkway and the water (a most favorite place in the days ahead).

We left the room and got back in the truck following the directions from Martin. We started down the road to Kralendijk looking for Casablanca's which we found in short order. The party was in the back room, most had ordered their food and were eating salads when we arrived. The owner came by and got our order which came out with everyone elses. I got a Rib Eye steak that I shared with Sue, it was our fifth meal that day. I found the steaks in Bonaire a little tougher than American steaks but a much stronger beef flavor. I attribute this to the cattle running around more and eating different grass. The mixed grill for two is more food than a small family needs. We only had short conversations with everyone that night, but even these short snippets were very enjoyable and we laughed a lot.

Back to the Plaza, now we had to find the room from a different direction without a bellhop. We did not find our room right away but we did find the pool, some bathrooms (critical at this point) and the Banana Tree restaurant. I was dying from the heat at this time and soaked with sweat. I found a bathing suit and went back and hopped in the pool. I had the pool to myself (it was officially closed), a warm wind was blowing and there was surf breaking on the shore. God's little lanterns were twinkling on and off in the heavens (sorry Jimmy) and there was island music drifting up from the Tipsy Seagull. What a great way to start a trip.

The next morning I went down for the breakfast buffet, lots and lots of food mostly standard American breakfast stuff but also lots of different fruits. I sat down in an open veranda with divers, birds and iguanas. Very pleasant and filling but I pretty much decided as I walked back to the room not to do that again. It was too much food and to heavy for the later diving (might of messed up my buoyancy). It was also quite pricey i.e. greater than $20.

Toucan Divers runs the orientation session at 9:00AM. Quite a crowd that morning, maybe 20 divers. They have us fill out a waiver and show us a video. The video was well done and provided some good information about the Marine Park, Bonaire diving and Toucan Divers (maybe a tad to much on the last). We were then told to meet down by the pool for our orientation dive. I went back to the room and grabbed my dive bag, an old black and purple duffel bag with wheels. Sue brought it somewhere for $19, well it's been the equivalent of around the world twice. Dragging it back and forth from the room became one of my most dreaded tasks.

Dive #1, 18 Palms Right, 83' max, 49 minutes, 81 degree, 50' vis. Profile
Pictures; Peacock Flounder, Sand Diver, Spotted Moray

The first dive they have us meet at the pool, gear up and buddy up. The tanks are stored next to a rinse tank. It's a short walk to the water. I buddied up with a couple that I met at the briefing. You enter over some algae covered rocks onto coral rubble. Put on the funny feet and swim out to the buoy to descent. The flat area has coral rubble intermixed with coral heads. In the coral rubble there are small pieces of live coral. You learn to put on the mask quickly and look down to avoid the live coral. Just past the flats area is the living coral wall that starts at 30' and can go very deep. This pretty much describes most every dive in Bonaire.

We dropped down at the top of the wall and the couple took off down the wall with me hanging back trying to get my ears to cooperate. My ears were pretty much in open revolt and it took a lot of prodding and negotiating to get them to clear. Eventually I was able to start looking around and not equalizing. What an amazing reef, that words can never do justice to. The diversity of corals and fish was amazing. All the normal suspects but Bonaire seems to have a lot of Banded Shrimp, Morays and Arrow Crabs all out and about in the daytime. I did see a young turtle off in the distance and a flotilla of squid on this dive. I got a few good pictures but all to soon we had to head back.

After the dive is easy, drop the tanks where you get out, rinse your gear and back to the room to dry. Others that were boat diving would use the lockers at Toucan Divers. A quick change of clothes and we were off again. We drove out the gate down towards town in the daylight for the first time I finally got to see what everyone talks about. You know in all honesty it's not much to look at but after a short time it takes on a beauty all it's own and after a little more time you can't imagine anywhere prettier.

We decided on having lunch at Chibi Chibi's at the Divi. Very very nice view and a good lunch. Sue got a cheeseburger and I got a Jerk Chicken sandwich. We then went over to the Cultimare Market to stock up on supplies. Back to the Plaza and I learned of the other parking lot near the beach. The gate is open in the daytime, it's a much shorter walk and sometimes you can get a shady spot. Sue wanted some pool time so I got my dive gear and hung around the beach looking lonely. Sure enough within a few minutes a young Dutch gentleman showed up wanting to go diving. If I was looking for a date I bet you it would not be that easy!

Dive 2, 18 Palms Right, 79' Max, 53 min. 81 deg, 50' vis. Profile

Much better time with my ears on this dive. A very relaxed enjoyable dive that was noted for all the Morays (mostly Spotted but some Golden) we saw, including my first Sharp Tail Moray which was next to the jetty when we got out. Also my first Peterson Shrimp cleaning a Graspy Grouper and some nice Gobies.

After the dive we hung out at the pool for a short time and then back to the room for Happy Hours, which was to be our normal routine for the rest of the trip. Get back to the room by 5:00 PM and listen to music, read a book, have drinks, have snacks (Trader Joe's dark chocolate covers cashews and/or pretzels) and watch the sunset. Our room had a perfect view as the sun set over the Klein. When the sun set at 7:00 PM we would go out to dinner. This first night we went Capricios, I had some kind of Beef Medallions in wine sauce, which was great, Sue had the Veal Parmesan, which was not as good. We later concluded that it must be pretty tough to get good veal on Bonaire. After a short walk we went back to the Plaza, watching for the herd of Donkeys that came into Kralendijk every night. It is the herd that hangs out at the airport during the day and goes to town each night. You could set your watch by where they were, if it was early they would be by Richards, later the Divi. We never did find the bar they go to.

This was also the first night that we set the procedure for the week. This was to listen to music from the MP3 player, and the ocean and read. Only the first night did the TV turn on, and I'm proud to say it was never turned on again. It was more than some kind of goal (which it was not), we really did not want to see TV, it held no interest. Sacrelious, I know but the truth must be told.

The next morning I was up early did my standard procedure for the time there. Make some coffee, get some pastry, go out on the deck, feed my bird buddies, see if the older Spanish Lady (I think) scores the best beach chair and watch Bonaire wake up. The Coffee was strong but I learned to really like it. I had different pastries all excellent. My bird buddies were mostly this miniature Morning Dove. I thought it was a juvenile the first time I saw one. It looked like a Mini Me pigeon. The other bird was a small sparrow like bird.

The best beach chairs were right in front of our room and they were all by themselves at one end of the beach with a great shade palm. Prime real estate you had to get there early normally before 7:30 AM although one day I did see it scored at 7:45 AM. The lady that was staying under us was successful for all but one of the 10 days.

Bonaire waking up is a wondrous thing, even though I normally was there by 7:00 that was late for the fishermen and the humming birds. They were both flittering about by the time I got to the deck. The humming birds are amazing besides getting nectar I loved to watch their little dog fights over territory. We only saw one type of humming bird in our travels although we learned there are two types native to Bonaire.

This morning I ate my breakfast and when I was finished I packed up my dive gear and quietly slipped out of the room. After a very short walk to the Tipsy Sea Gull dock, I picked up a tank and geared up.

Dive 3, 18 Palms Left, 57' Max, 42 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

I love the reef in the morning all the critters seem more active. The coral colors were particularly good that morning and I got some of the best shots of the trip. They include shrimp in a cup sponge, a Bi-Color Damsel and coral, some great Arrow Crabs, some nice Christmas tree Worms and then the Golden Moray and Arrow Crabs. The last was the most fun, I found them towards the end of the dive and spent a bit watching and photographing this group. I just lay in the sand next to the coral head and was as gratified as a diver gets.

After rinsing the gear, I walked back to the room and Sue was just getting up. This was the day of Angela and Martin's wedding at noon so I had some down time waiting for Sue to get ready, sounds like some deck time. As I was sitting there enjoying a second cup of coffee and watching the ocean, I noticed a lady and a young daughter with a lot of cameras coming down the beach. That peaked my interest and a few seconds later I see a bride and groom coming down the beach, Angela and Martin. The photographer had chosen the beach in front of out room for her pictures. I told you it was prime real estate. I managed to snap a few good shots of them on the beach but poor Angela and Martin were dying in their outfits, the sun was very hot that morning. I took some cold bottle water down to them and talked for a few minutes and they were off to other locations for pictures.

After a few misdirection's on where the Town Hall is we drove downtown and parked. Within a few minutes Jake, Linda and the kids showed up so we knew we were in the right place. After some pre-wedding pictures we all piled in to the main courtroom for the service. The service was very nice and even though we did understand one word we knew what was happening. After the ceremony we went outside and took some more pictures. We met up with Niki and Bob and we all went to lunch at the Lost Penguin and what a great lunch it was. The food and the company were both great.

The Lost Penguin is on a main street, open and has major construction happening in the next building and we were a little apprehensive when we got there. But the food, hospitality and ambience quickly overcame any of these minor concerns. We were to come back here often.

Niki and Bob are the best, a joy to talk to. We heard about their life in the wilds of Oregon and how they met and about their previous trips to Bonaire. After lunch we headed back to the Plaza, changed and went snorkeling at the Tipsy Seagull.

The snorkeling off the Tipsy Seagull is wonderful. The entry is easy down a set of stairs into the water. You really do not want to walk around there, as there's lots of live coral. We just floated off the bottom stair and over the shallow coral. Under the dock is a shoal of minnows with a few barracuda and jacks watching the school. To the left of the dock there are many different kinds of coral heads all in 3-4' of water. We saw Trumpet Fish, Sand Divers, White Spotted Filefish, and Peacock Flounders. After a while we snorkeled back to the dock, got out and rinsed our gear.

We went back to the room and did what was our standard late afternoon procedure. The highlight of the experience was watching the sun slowly sink below the Klein. Each sunset was different and beyond description.

This night we decided to eat at "It Rain Fishes" after a short wait we got a table and then asked to move to a more open table. The heat was a bit of a problem at this point in the trip. I had the Dorado and Sue had the Swordfish. Here's where I must depart from the crowd, we were not particularly impressed. The fish was good but not great and the service was only adequate. Just as we finished our meal our waiter showed up at the next table with a bunch of balloons. I asked him what the balloons were for, he said for a couple that had just gotten married that day. That's right a few minutes later Jake, Angela, Martin and Bert sat at the next table. We talked for a bit, till their food came and back to the Plaza.

This was also the first night of listening to music and reading before going to sleep, much better than mind numbing TV. The next morning I was up early and had breakfast on the deck with my buddies. Packed the dive gear and down to the Tipsy Seagull.

Dive 4, 18 Palms Left, 50' Max, 40 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

This dive was very similar to the morning dive the day before. I got some nice shots of a Graspy Grouper being cleaned, a White Spotted Filefish, and a Spotted Moray in a very small hole and a Christmas Tree Worm. The highlight occurred near the end of the dive when I was decompressing up on the sand flats. I noticed a cloud near a coral head, as I got closer there were three Cooneys and a Yellow Tailed Snapper hovering around the coral head. Then I saw the Golden Tailed Moray, he was being pummeled by the Cooneys. The coral head was not big enough to protect him. The moray would protect his front from one Cooney and another would attack his rear. There is no doubt that they would have killed him given half a chance. My coming on the scene gave the Moray his chance by distracting the Cooneys and he darted to the next coral head, which was big enough to protect his backside. He was still pretty fired up and was not happy to be photographed (Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3). I save his life and this is the gratitude you get.

Back to the room as Sue was rising. I changed the memory stick in the camera for the second time (a significant event as it turns out). We changed and headed out in the truck. We went north past town for the first time, as we were approaching Jake's house I for some reason knew exactly where it was. Once we passed the power plant I knew it was close and pointed to the correct house before I saw the sign. Probably something to do with watching the cams way too much. We did our prefunctinary poses and continued North past Andrea I and II, past Ole Blue and 1000 steps. Past Karpata and made the right towards Rincon. Through Rincon and started back on the Bonaire Freeway. We saw a sign for cave paintings and took the dirt road down to the coast. What a contrast to the West coast, rough and surfy is an understatement. We found the caves with the paintings but did not find the paintings, something about looking straight up, the things that are not in the brochures. We then headed back overland towards Jakes. Sue could not figure out how I knew which way to go, it might be a man thing or the fact that all the trees point West. We ran into Martin and made arrangements for an afternoon dive at the Small Wall. We did our sign thing for the cam and headed over to Rum Runners at Captain Dons for lunch.

Rum Runners was very pleasant we got there just before the afternoon boat was leaving which made for an empty restaurant. The food was very good and the view fantastic. It was a blast watching the Tarpon in the shallow water below. After lunch we headed south and went to the Donkey Sanctuary. What a pleasure to visit, Marina was not there but another lady showed us around. She knew all of the donkey's names and histories, some of which were heart wrenching. This habit of the locals stealing foals from their mothers seemed the most senseless. They will not become a pet, they will just die if removed from the mother. The donkeys certainly seemed happy and content at the sanctuary, although there was this one male donkey that seemed to like Sue way too much.

We continued south on the look out for Flamingos. We got just past the Salt pier and did see some Flamingos way off in the distance. On the way back we stopped at the food warehouse to pick up some stuff for the party that night and some apples for the stray donkeys (always feeding them well away from a road). A quick stop by the Plaza to swap stuff and back on the road to Jake's. When we got there Martin, Martine and Jean Paul were there. Jake up loaded two sticks worth of pictures to a CD and also keep them on his hard drive. He returned the sticks still loaded with pictures and told me to format them in the camera. The camera was sealed at that point for the dive.

I was very religious about sealing the camera in the air-conditioned hotel room with lots of light (to inspect the o-ring) and very carefully. Using this method I only fogged once for a very short time because I had left the camera on for to long. That really is the secret do not leave your camera on, it will generate heat and fog the inside of the case. The Sony is easy to turn on and off, although you have to wait the 5 seconds or so for it to boot-up.

Martin was fighting to get the wedding photographs completed at that point and could not dive. So Martine, Jean Paul and myself suited up. A quick pose at the beach cam and into the water.

Dive 5, The Small Wall, 82' Max, 47 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

This was my 100th dive and Jean Paul's 500th dive. The left entry at Jake's (I thought) a very easy entry fairly flat dead coral and fairly wide. A few steps and your chest deep and can put on the funny feet. A few kicks and your at the reef cam, we spent some time there posing and cleaning the camera. I had a number of surprises but due to the stinking minute hand on my watch I missed most of them. I had my watch synchronized to Jake's time and knew when the camera was doing a capture. The problem is my old eyes, I can see the second hand perfectly but it was very difficult to see if it is was an even or odd minute and all of the first poses were a minute off. That's why you see me fumbling with slides and/or my butt in the captures. That's the bad news, the good news is if I ever get there again I will do what I planned and that's all I'll say about that.

After played with the camera we dropped over the wall and what a wall it is. Almost dead vertical and alive with coral. Martine and Jean Paul are a real pleasure to dive with, we all have about the same air consumption and with three sets of eyes very little was missed. We cruised south down the wall a ways searching all the nooks and crannies. Lots of neat critters. As we got back to the cam, Martine spotted a Scorpion Fish. Jean Paul got some video and as I was getting some stills a Spotted Moray swan between my legs and down the wall. Fortunately I was to busy with the Scorpion Fish to see him. We went back up to the cam and we were hanging out (I was photographing the Banded Shrimp that live on the camera mooring) and a young turtle swam between shore and us. Off Jean Paul and myself went in hot pursuit. We caught up to him and got some great shots. He was fairly young looked to be in good shape with tags on both front flippers (I wonder if he had to go through an orientation too). On the way out of the water I happened to look left in 2' of water, there in the very shallow water were at least 4 mature Rainbow Parrots. Out of the water and a quick rinse using Jake's hose. I changed in his garden shed, I put my ear down to the ground. I thought I might hear the voices of the lost souls, lost while trying to tunnel over to Everything Else. May they rest in peace.

That evening was the party at Jake and Linda's for Martin and Angela and what a great party it was. The food and the people, world class. The food was an open buffet with a variety of standard American BBQ mixed in with standard Bonaire fare. It was all great, the trick was to get a little of everything. We spent time talking to a number of people including Yana's group (what a fun group), Lindsay and her brother Joey (mostly about the South and Georgia Tech), Niki and Bob, Martine and Jean Paul and I got to meet my hero and photography mentor Ellen. Even though she has since switched over to the Olympus cult it was great to finally meet her. Towards the end of the night we finally got to meet Marc and Kitty, we were commanded to not talk politics, drat. Some people do not know how to have fun. Arrangements were made for future dives. The party lasted till early evening and everyone started wandering home. You do not want to stay out too late on Bonaire, this will cut into your bottom time.

The following morning we had arranged to dive with Niki and Bob at there house. We drove over and met Martine and Jean Paul there. Bob and Niki had rented a house just south of Belmar. It was very nice with a large covered patio overlooking the water. There are stairs down into the water. We geared up and climbed down to the water.

Dive 6, Niki's Reef, 94' Max, 51 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

This is a very nice reef with a fairly wide flat area before the drop off. Lots of moray and shrimp on this dive. We also saw several Tarpon swimming by checking out the divers. It's tough keeping 5 divers together and towards the end of the dive we lost track of Niki and Bob so we headed back in. We were rinsing off when a 50' long US Coast Guard cutter (boy was he lost) cruised by directly over where we were just diving. A few minutes later Niki and Bob came up. We asked them about the cutter and it did go directly over them. I'm sure that was intense. We were running late for our next appointment and rushed back to the Plaza.

We had lunch at the Banana tree, as we were eating Martin showed up for an afternoon dive. He had not eaten yet but fortunately for him Sue could not eat all her crabmeat sandwich and fries. We grabbed some tanks and geared up before the bill came, Sue got to sign for it.

Dive 7, 18 Palms Right, 103' Max, 50 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

This was fairly quick dive as Martin had another appointment that I proud to say he was late for. We briefly dropped down to the bottom at 103', I've since heard there is a double reef there although I never saw the other reef. Nice dive with lots of critters.

That afternoon we got a little pool time and had an early dinner at the Banana Tree. Sue got the Sesame Encrusted Tuna and I got a steak. The tuna was out of this world. We then meet up with Martin, Angela, Niki, Bob, Martine and Jean Paul and convoyed downtown to Ellen's house. Ellen was nice enough to offer to dive with me at her special reef. I'm pretty sure she did not expect to see this massive group show up at her front door. With Ellen and Bernie there were 8 divers, so we went with two groups of four. The photographers were in the first group.

Dive 8, Ellen's Reef, Night Dive, 45' Max, 73 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

We started out searching rocks in shallow water to look for a particular type of moray eel (can't remember the name now). After a bit we headed out to the main reef and down. Lots of neat critters including Banded Shrimp out in the open, a very large Slipper Lobster, and several foraging Morays. Two disappointments that we did not see, Tarpon, I was hoping to have some close approaches which I've heard is common on night dives. No luck. I was also very surprised how few Spiny Lobsters we saw, they were few and far between. A very long dive and we were pretty spread out at the end. Ellen and myself were in the lead and all alone. We all finished about the same time. It had rained while we were in the water and Sue and Angela were not happy. But it was nice to critique the dive and share stories and pictures afterwards.

The next morning Martine and Jean Paul picked me up at the employee lot at the Plaza. It's right by the 90-degree corner and very convenient for swapping cars. Sue stayed at the Plaza and got a great massage from Beverly. Off we went South and met up with Niki and Bob at the put-in for the Hilma Hooker. We geared up and navigated through the coral.

Dive 9, Hilma Hooker, 99' Max, 39 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

Once you drop over the wall here, the Hilma Hooker comes into view, she sits on her port side. The starboard side is at 60' with the sand about 100'. We started down the starboard side and around the bow. Lots of fish, no massive schools but lots of individuals, mostly barracuda and snappers. We dropped down to the sand and started towards the stern. On the outer reef there was a very large Green Moray that did not mind being photographed. As we worked our way towards the stern I was watching my no-deco time drop and that was starting to worry me. As we cleared the stern three things pretty much happened simultaneously, a school of huge Tarpon came in view, I filled a memory stick and I went into decompression (actually Jean Paul heard my alarm go off). I quickly deleted some pictures and shot a couple more of the Tarpon and then we headed up. I only had a 9-minute obligation at that time and still had plenty of air. We swam up the flats and spent the time swimming between the coral heads, photographing the fish there. These were the last pictures on the lost stick (for those keeping score, this stick covered the Small Wall dive till here). Back in the trucks and back to the Plaza.

That afternoon we went into town to the Lost Penguin for lunch. We noticed that the owner was waiting tables. We got to talking to her, what an interesting, gracious and lovely lady. Her name is Renada, she's from Texas and has worked as a legal assistant in Texas and The Hauge (on Solobodon's trial). Then she took a job on a cruise line where she met her husband Ton. They got the bug to open a restaurant (Ton is a world class chef), they were looking in Belize when the Bonaire opportunity occurred and the rest is history. They opened in January and business has been good and hopefully they do well (Renada and Ton). She also told us why she was waiting tables that particular day, her regular waitress has her car stolen and wrecked. I can't imagine what a car costs on Bonaire.

When Sue heard about the deco dive in the morning she ordained no diving the rest of the day. So we headed south, past the slave huts and the lighthouse and then north to the East coast and to Lac Bay. The desolation and rough nature of the East side is amazing. There were only two cars on that road that day. The other surprise is the flotsam and trash washed up on the East coast, it's pretty much half coral rubble and half trash. Where does this all come from cruise ship's trash, garbage dumping or lost fishermen?

We stopped in Lac Bay to watch the Kite Boarders and Sail Boarders, amazingly perfect place to do this. Warm shallow calm water and kick ass wind. We also noticed that this is the local swimming hole. Not sure of the reason why seems like the West coast would be better. We went back over the island and back to the Plaza for afternoon drink on the deck and a great sunset.

That night was a Caribbean BBQ night at the Tipsy Seagull. One of the most enjoyable meals we had on Bonaire. We sat on the seawall at an elegant table with the water almost lapping at our feet. I was bad and had to feed the fish, they did not seem to mind. The food was very good and a lots of variety from fish, to chicken, to ribs and steak. The service was perfect. A very enjoyable meal.

The next morning we had a two tanker scheduled with Martin and Angela at Ole Blue and Karpata. We loaded Martin's truck (piece of advice, if Martin offers to drive, pass) and off we went north. We drove to Ole Blue, on the way we were saying how we needed to contact Martine and Jean Paul to change a date. We parked and geared up, leaving the women on the beach to guard the car, did not want to lose any sunglasses. The entry is a little rough, but we make it with out mishap. Just as we were getting ready to put on our funny feet Martin noticed his dive computer was back in the truck. Angela was nice enough to retrieve it for Martin and once again we ready to dive. Just then a pickup drove up to the beach, it was Martine and Jean Paul out to dive Ole Blue and Karpata, serendipity strikes again. We hung out in chest deep water as they geared up.

Dive 10, Ole Blue, 95' Max, 59 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

Ole Blue is a spectacular dive with even more life on the flats and the wall then the Southern sites. I got some nice shots of a Trumpet Fish, Puffer, Peterson Shrimp, Barracuda and Anemone. Nice relaxing wall dive. We loaded up the trucks and cruised North to Karpata. Sue and Angela liked this place more as there's actually some shade. On the other hand the entry's pretty intense. Climb down off a concert pier onto the live coral, climbing out was even worse, it took some crawling.

Dive 11, Karpata, 95' Max, 59 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

Very similar structure although with more side canyons. Got some shots of more anemones (still never got the small shrimp inside), arrow crabs, Red Lipped Blenny, my first Black Durgeon, and the world famous anchor. Crawl out, rinse off with the solar shower (no Hazel it did not have tequila). Back in the truck for the ride home.

Well Martin seems to know a short cut back to town, down a dirt road and up a hill to one of the best views in Bonaire, then down the other side. Quite a ride, I think the divot in my head has flattened out. Did I mention not to let Martin drive, only kidding. He did fine and it was good training for me later in the week. Back to the Plaza.

We had a nice lunch at the Banana Tree and some pool time. Late afternoon we met up with Martine and Jean Paul at Jake's to dive the Small Wall. A few poses at the street cam and we geared up in Jake's driveway. We entered through the left channel.

Dive 12, Small Wall, 81' Max, 54 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

I call this the Rush Hour dive. After a few poses at the reef cam we swam over to the wall and there was the freeway. The Blue Headed Wrasse were heading North and the Brown Chromis were heading South. A pretty much continuous stream was flowing in both directions. Traffic was heavy but moving with no backups. It was particularly neat to put your head in the middle of a stream and watch it split around your head. It was a very relaxing dive with some good shots of Trumpet Fish, Spotted Moray with Arrow crab, Sharptail Eel and Charlotte.

Right after we got out was a particularly pretty sunset from Jake's beach. We then went down to Capt Dons and Rum Runners for dinner. I got to meet the famous Jack Chalk, I asked him about the rush hour of fish. He said he once tried to find out where there were going and never did. The staff photographed us when we got our meal, it's still not on the web page.

The following morning Martine and Jan Paul picked me up while Sue got a neck massage with Beverly. We choose to dive from Angel City down to the Hilma Hooker. On the way there we stopped in to say goodbye to Bob and Niki, they were heading out on the afternoon Air Jamaica flight.

Dive 13, Angel City to Hilma Hooker, 95' Max, 46 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

We swam out over the flats and down into the sand channel between the double reefs, then down the sand channel to the Hilma Hooker. That is the mechanics of what we did but the sights and feeling of this dive were unworldly. The narrow sand channel and the massive coral on either side made a natural bowl where you could lay and watch the fish go by or the Garden Eels. A very zen type of dive. Just as we reached the stern of the Hilma Hooker we went into decompression and had go up. This little violation cost me 9 minutes of decompression up in the flats. A very pleasant 9 minutes I might add. I still had 1000#'s when we got out. I would love to dive some doubles and just sit in that channel for a while.

Back to the Plaza, quick change and we went downtown to the Lost Penguin for lunch. The regular waitress was back and it seemed her roommate's boyfriend who was going to work off the repairs borrowed the car. Probably as good an ending as could be hoped for. That afternoon Martin picked me up and we meet Martine and Jean Paul at the Salt Pier.

Dive 14, The Salt Pier, 62' Max, 63 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

I can see why this dive is recommended the pilings of the pier concentrate the fish life. Just after we got in Martin spotted an octopus in the open, he immediately darted under a coral head (can't really blame him). We continued out to the end and then went right, turned around to the left and then back in. I got some of the best shots of the trip of, Yellow Goat Fish, a Chain Moray, and Martin. I also spotted a Tiger Grouper being cleaned on some Corkscrew Anemone. I took one shot and as I got a little closer he instantly changed to a darker color and I took another shot, as I swam away he changed back to the lighter color. A nice long thoroughly enjoyable dive.

Back to the Plaza and another beautiful sunset. We had dinner at the City Café, very nice dinner.

The following morning we had a Woodwind snorkel trip scheduled. I started getting the gear together and I could not find my mask. I looked everywhere and could not find it. I finally went down to Toucan divers to see if anyone turned it in. Well it seems I left it in the rinse tank, I did not feel too bad about it since I was one of three that did the same thing that night.

At 9:00 Ulf picked us up at the lobby of the Plaza and drove us to the Divi dock. While we were waiting I got to talking to a lady also waiting for the Woodwind. She was there to help out for the day. After talking to her for a while, she took of her hat and I realized that this was Dara Walker I was talking to. We had meet briefly at Ellen's but it was dark and I never really saw her. We all loaded in a small boat and went out to the Woodwind. Ulf, Dee and Dara were the crew for the day. Ulf and Dee's two young boys were also along for the ride. We got to hear Ulf and Dee's story, seems Ulf left Norway 15 years ago on his way around the world in his sailboat. On one of his stops was Trinidad where he met Dee who was teaching school. They got married and continued the trip and had two boys on their way to Bonaire. Don't think they are looking to break any sailing records but oh what a trip they'll have.

We sailed/motored out to the Klein for the first snorkel. We grabbed a mooring off the beach and then geared up for the swim to the beach. Me being the old experienced diver volunteered to jump off first. I jumped in and came up to give the OK signal as I did (like anyone knew what it meant, this was a snorkel trip. Victim of my training), my snorkel fell off my mask and down into the depths it went. Fortunately I was fast and raced down after it. I caught up to it pretty deep and right at my limits for breath and ear compression. I mean it was a cheap old snorkel, don't want to lose that. One of the things I've noticed since I started diving my ability to hold my breath has decreased.

We swam to the beach and walked up wind a 100 yards or so. There was a narrow hole in the shore reef which we swam through and started a slow drift back to the boat. Quite a nice snorkel with a nice shore reef and a drop off. I got a nice shot of a Spotted Trunkfish. Back into the boat and we motored over to Andrea I where we moored just ahead of Capt Don's boat, teach those stinking divers. Excellent spot to snorkel with lots of shallow reef and structure. We spotted a nice Golden Tail Moray and a group of Princess Parrot Fish in very shallow water. Back onto the Woodwind and we had a nice light lunch of cold cut sandwiches, fruit and drinks. We then motored back down the coast to the Divi.

As we were approaching the Divi I saw Jean Paul and Martine on the dock, they were filming our return. They invited me to dive the Divi dock that afternoon, hey it was Father's Day, I was suppose to do anything I wanted. So we zipped back to the Plaza I got my dive gear and back to the Divi I drove. Martine and Jean Paul were waiting for me on the dock where we geared up.

Dive 15, The Divi Reef, 112' Max, 45 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

For some reason I really like this dive. The structure off the Divi is very similar to the other sites in Bonaire with coral garden flats and a steep wall. There just seemed to be more stuff here, including an anchor and a sunk boat. I got a number of nice pictures of Barracuda, Sharp Nosed Puffer, Red Banded Shrimp, Fireworm, Sand Diver, Jean Paul, and Martine. I also saw my first nudibrach and some nice squid. After we had came up from the deepest part of the dive I happened to notice a Bonairian anchor (a rock with a bunch of rope) on the coral, the line was down the reef and wrapped around some soft corals. I really wanted to pick it up but did not want to go back down and probably go into decompression.

That night was one of the prettiest sunsets in our time on Bonaire. That night we meet Martine and Jean Paul at Casablaca's for dinner. Another excellent meal and way more food than you can imagine

The following morning Jean Paul and Martine picked me up for a two tanker. I got to choose the sites as it was my last dive day. The first site I choose was Andrea I as that was a good snorkel site. Off we went north. Jean Paul was having troubles with his ears so he stayed on the beach to protect our sunglasses.

Dive 16, Andrea I, 54' Max, 50 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

We had a very nice dive, with some very pretty structure. I got some good shots of coral, Red Banded Shrimp, Peterson Shrimp and Princess Parrot Fish. I also got the best UW shot of the trip of a Scorpion Fish.

Back in the truck and back south. On the way we stopped by Jake's, he asked us if we wanted to dive the Small Wall for my last dive. It was a tough choice but I really had my heart set on the Divi reef. Off we went to the Divi.

Dive 17, The Divi Reef, 69' Max, 64 min. 81 deg, 50' vis Profile

The last dive on Bonaire, what a depressing thought. Till next time anyway. It may have been the last but definitely not the least. A real fun dive with lots to see and photograph. I got some good shots of a Spotted Moray, Peterson Shrimp and we hung out with a group of barracuda. As we were coming up from the deep part I spotted the rope from the Bonairian anchor and took the time to collect it. It must have been 80' of rope across the reef and it was wrapped around a lot of coral. Finally I got to the anchor and cut the line from the rock and balled it up. No way that was going to fit in a BC pocket, so I put the ball inside my BC. I had let the air out of my BC to be heavy while I was collected the rope and as I was showing Martine all the rope I did not watch my fins and I felt them hit something. I looked down and I had whacked a tube sponge. I had spent all that time protecting the reef only to damage it by a moment of inattention. A classic case of no good deed goes unpunished.

Towards the end of the dive Martine spotted a nice Scorpion Fish and as I was getting some pictures a large Spotted Moray swam up to us. He must have come out to say good-bye, very nice these Bonairian critters. It was depressing to leave the water but it had to be done. Back to the Plaza.

We had a nice lunch at the Banana Tree and we went back and did something we had not done this trip (no not that dirty minds), took a nap. Then we went downtown to do some shopping. We scored some nice stuff for friends and family. The coolest was a scuba diving cat for our cat lover friends. It's now hanging at their cottage. Just as the shops were closing up the street came Martine and Jean Paul. It really is a small island. So as we were waiting for the Taste of Bonaire to start we went into the City Café for happy hour and the sunset.

After a few drinks and a cloudy sunset we went over to the park for Taste of Bonaire. This is an annual event where many the restaurants on Bonaire have booths and sell samples of their favorite dishes. They also have a local band playing. There we met up with Martin, Angela, Jake and Linda. The food, drink and company were fabulous. The only minor complaint was that some of the booths ran out of food early. You had to be quick to get some of the better stuff.

The next day was our last full day and a non-dive day. The plan was to get breakfast at the Lost Penguin and get some take out sandwiches for lunch and then out to the park for the day. Well we forgotten that the Lost Penguin is closed on Tuesdays. Not only did we miss some great food we never got to say goodbye to Renada (sorry Renada). We did get some sandwiches at the burger place.

Off we went down the Bonaire expressway to Rincon and into the park. We took the long way around which goes down to East coast and around the point at the South end. You pretty quickly realize why 4-wheel drive is recommended. The roads are ROUGH with big deep ruts and sharp coral rocks to climb or go down. We only saw one other vehicle that day and it was a small car with four adults, how they make it around we are still amazed. We took the first turn off down to the coast and looked around at what was a beech. I cannot imagine how anyone could swim there. We continued around but had to bypass the blowhole, it actually rained for at least 3 minutes. A quick cruise over to a cove on the South end, then we went inland to a fresh water spring on the map.

The road to the spring was pretty rough, but the hardest part was getting the big iguanas off the road so we could get by. Some would settle for a honk of the horn, others required Sue to get out and chase them off. Eventually we came up on this one old boy, Sue got out to chase him off, he didn't move, she throw a stick and hit him, he still didn't move. So I set the parking brake and hopped out, walked up to the iguana and asked him to move, no go, so I whack him on the tail with a stick, still no go, I hit him again a little higher, he finally wakes up and scurries off into the bush. Sue and myself are hysterical at this point. We get to the parking area and there are a bunch of birds in the tree that seemed to like the bread we gave them.

We start up the path to the spring and after a bit are joined by some of the locals, a small herd of goats and a big iguana. At the spring we feed them what we had with us and then started back to the truck. When we get there, there was something moving in the truck. My mind raced to all the tales of Bonarian thieves and maybe I could catch one and I did. The first one got away through the open window, a Yellow Oriole but his companion in crime was trapped in the back seat bagging against the back window. I thought of hauling him off to jail but then thought the scare might be enough and opened the back window for him. They had found the bread in the backseat and were gorging themselves before we got back.

We went by the lighthouse at the end and visited some of the ruins on the South end (Swimming Hole,Seascape). We also saw two Wara Wara birds, one was fairly close. Eventually we came to the abandoned resort that was partially destroyed by Lenny. We were amazed to see construction going on to rebuild the resort. This I cannot figure out, it's miles from anywhere over terrible road, no water, no electricity. How is this place ever going to be commercially viable? This day there were two cars on the road not a lot of drive up business. Just past the resort were the closest we saw flamingos.

We keep looking for the iguana feeding spots so we could feed them but never did find one. So when we got back to the exit we still had lots of bread. We did manage to give some of it to the small lizards by the entrance. It was around lunchtime so we thought we would find Prisca's ice cream and after some wandering and misdirection's we did find it. Only to find out it was closed till 1:00 so we sat there in the driveway in the shade and ate out sandwiches. After we finished I happened to notice some donkeys nearby (in town Rincon by the way) and feed them some of our apples. Right on time the ice cream stand opened and we got some of their world famous ice cream. It was worth the wait, good stuff.

On the way back to the Plaza we stopped in to meet Michael Gaynor at his internet store. It was a real pleasure to met him and see his establishment. Back to the Plaza for a little pool time, then packing, and then checking out. As we were having our last afternoon on the deck, I happened to notice a flurry of activity off shore. A boat was circling round and there was a bunch of people looking from the beach. Then I saw them, a huge pod of dolphins was frolicking off the beach. We spotted at least 20 as we watched them for a while, they were having a ball, doing cartwheels and spins. I thought this was very nice that they came by to say good bye. This was followed by an awesome sunset.

It was Tuesday night, which means BT'er night at Gibi's Terrace. We were late in order to catch the sunset but Gibi took our order and we were served with everyone else. This outing while very pleasurable was also depressing knowing it was our last get together (for this trip). We were a little apprehensive about the food (might be a little to native for our tastes) but we were wrong and it was absolutely great. I had the chicken and Sue had the grouper. We got to talk to Martine, Jean Paul, Jake, Linda and a bunch of BT'ers from Maryland. It was nice to hear the Chesapeake Bay is getting better. I was raised in that area. The bay was pretty much trashed (pollution), nice to hear it's coming back. All to early the night ended and back to the Plaza we went for the last time. We did manage to feed the last of our apples to the airport donkeys.

The next morning the phone rang way way to early. A little bit later there's a knock on the door for us to leave. Just outside the door in the walkway was a full sized van for our luggage and us. Show's you what we know, all of the walkways at the Plaza are also van ways late at night. He drove us to our truck and off we went to the airport. The lady from the car rental place met us at the front door to the airport. I signed the papers and gave her the keys and off she went with the truck. Can't ask for better service, the truck had served us well for the 10 days. We checked in with AA and had an open bottle of booze confiscated, no drinking on this flight. We got a quick view of Bonaire through the early morning light as we took off.

The trip home was without incident and we arrived early to Boston. Once we got our luggage we went out to the curb and waited and waited. Finally we called Jay's cell phone, we figured he forgot us or over sleep, he was on his way. Sue was hungry and got some lunch before Jay arrived. Come to find out there was an 18-wheeler jackknifed on the central artery and traffic was blocked for miles around. He heard before he left home and had to take the longer route. This was the extend of our travel woes a half hour delay to get home, no complaints here.

Conclusion

An absolutely fabulous trip on every level! I can't say it was cheap, for 11 nights, 10 days, everything it was around $5,000 all told. The Superior Ocean View Suite at the Plaza was more than 1/2 of this total. Next time we'll go for cheaper accommodations and more time.

The accommodations at the Plaza were world class, the view from the room really enhanced the experience. The staff was professional and efficient. The property was the nicest on Bonaire (IMHO). The rooms and ground were immaculate (although there was some construction that week). Toucan divers, I can't really judge since all my diving was from shore. They were efficient with tanks and availability.

The diving on Bonaire is to die for. It is the easiest type of diving with no current, little surf or surge and deep clear water. Even the entries/exits were not bad, although maybe I am jaded by the death defying ones around here. The fish life is plentiful and friendly. The coral is rich and looks to be in good shape. The flats are coming back nicely after Lenny with lots of new coral growth. Bonaire is a macro photographer's dream.

The food was much much better than we expected. Can't really say we had a bad meal. We heard tell of some but we did not have that experience. The selections were also a pleasant surprise. Our highest recommendation goes to the Lost Penguin for breakfast and lunch. For dinners it's a tougher choice, certainly Gibi's on Tuesday and Tipsy Seagull on Thursday.

But far and away the best part was the people. The people that we did get to spend some time with (Martine, Jean Paul, Martin, Angela, Niki and Bob) are some of the finest people we've met in our travels. They were gracious, interesting, caring and fun. They pretty much made the trip for us, thanks for everything. The people that we met but did not get to spent much time with (Jake, Linda, Dara, Ellen, Yana, Marc, Kitty and Michael) were also very gracious and maybe we'll get some more time next go round. I still have not dived with Jake, one of these days.

Till next year.

Thanx for bringing back the memories Cecil... How is your head?? I had to pay a lot for the damage at the place you parked your head in the roof on the car...

The associated slideshow is at Click Here. Download from that site do not play from there. Click on it, if you get a save screen, good, if not, cancel, right click on link, select Save Target As. It's big (17 megs), not for the bandwidth limited or Mac users. You do need a sound card for it to play.

Martin how could you possibly read that whole thing in 3 minutes? You must have been reading while I was posting not fair.

Cecil, I was reading and posted after part 2. I know, not fair, but I DO love it...

We'll be on island Nov. 25 - Dec. 3-rd. Wanna come out and play???

Cecil and Sue...what a great report and the pictures are wonderful...ESPECIALLY the sunsets. Can't wait till 2004 when we go again!

I have watched the slide show! Beautiful! The report will be read tomorrow!

Cecil, OUTSTANDING

Thank you Cecil!

My PBD has abated a little now that I have some fresh memories in my head. Great report and of course...beautiful pics.

Lisa in Montreal

Wow, wonderful report. Next year I'm definately Bonaire bound. Thank-you.

Cecil, Thanks for the trip back to Bonaire!!! It will help tie me over until December. You did a fine job at describing paradise and your pictures were great as always. I am glad that you and Sue had such a wonderful time!!

Cecil, I just saw the slide show and it was incredible!!!!

Wonderful report Cecil! I really enjoyed reading it. And congratulations to Martin & Angela; best wishes for a happy marriage. We met at Antriol Catering last November.

Thank you Mary.

Cecil, very good written report! It feels almost as being in Bonaire as well. What a wonderful time you all had!
Thanks for sharing the show and the story!!

Cecil,

Thanks for such a wonderful and detailed report!

Thank you all.

Here's some of the stuff I missed (I know this seemed hard to believe).

The Princess Parrot Fish, Martine and I saw at Andrea I.


Here's some links to the cam captures from the trip.

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
Pic 7
Pic 8

Nice legs in pic1

I'm baffled Cess ..... seems to me that you spent most of your uninebriated vacation time immersed at 18th Palm, right?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, (it's one of my favourites too) but where are the inevitable tarpon pics? Damn things managed to muscle their way into the frame of just about every other critter pic I tried to snap there.

Never did get a good Tarpon shot, there were some on the lost stick. I saw them at 18 Palms but always at a distance.

Cecil. What a fantastic trip report. I read it all with a huge grin on my face as it brought back all the memories from this side of the cam, you made me feel as if I was there too. I am so happy that both you and Sue had such a wonderful time there. I also thank you for being such a good sport for the jibes that you are forced to endure from us gals on cc. I shall never forget the look on your face upon your arrival at the airport. Absolutely splendid. Annie B.

Thank you....Thank you... for such a great report. It's a good thing I'm the Boss here at work because I've sure wasted A LOT of time this morning. (Well, it wasn't a waste was it...I was back in virtual Bonaire!)

Nice job Cecil, thanks!

Cecil, your report became shipboard entertainment. We enjoyed it thoroughly. :-) I printed it out without reading it, and took the 12 pages stapled together, up to the lake this weekend. So picture Bob and me, out in the sailboat, surrounded by forests and mountains. I read the whole thing out loud to Bob, while we sailed from one end of the lake to the other, remembering every moment of our Bonaire trip... And that's how we spent the first couple of hours of our three-day anniversary celebration! Here's where we moored later on:

Thanks for writing in such detail!

That's pretty cool Niki. Very gratifing.

Cecil....
WOW
Thanks 4 sharing your trip and virtually taking us back 2 Bonaire!
Maybe u should look in2 starting a new career...

Great job Cecil thanks for all of the details.

I will be making my first trip to Bonaire Oct 7 - 14 and your trip report will come in handy.