As much as I am a diver, not a snorkeler, one of my best times of my October visit was a night snorkel with Dee of the Windward. We saw 'everything' and it was relaxing, informative and fun. It was just Dee and I. We started at Karl's bar. There was alot of life around the bar, no no no, I mean underwater around the bar; Eels, scorpion fish, sleeping parrot, lobster, etc. We followed the waters edge, zig zaging between shallows and deeper, heading back towards Dive Inn, including time under the Town Pier.

We saw a large fish skeleton and head standing straight up on its tail - eery. I found a bright orange frog fish on a pier piling. At one point I lost track of Dee momentarily and did not see her flash light. Out of the darkness I heard here say, "Shut off your light". I said, "I can't see you". Again I heard, "Shut off your light" ... I replied "I can't see you". :-) Then I realized I was being stupid and shut off my light. She was only a couple of yards away from me and as I looked down into the water I saw sparkly starry lights, twinkling. As I wiggled my fins they'd light up and spin around. It was so beautiful combined with the quiet and darkness of being under the pier. I've seen this before when diving. But this was so much better. The sparkles were all around and under me and flowed so smoothly around my fins. I hesitated to put my light back on and continue along our snorkel. I did not want to move away from this sight. Of course I did, after a couple more times of shutting off my light and watching as I hung in place wiggling my fins.

Too many pics to bore you with -- but here are a few: octopus baby scorpion on piling orange frog fish on piling

As often happens on night dives too, we had a Tarpon accompanying us for much of the night. He is a friend of Dee's, called jeff. While he liked using our lights in his fishing for food, he was not very good at catching anything. He'd dart in and grab, but swam off empty "handed" each time, often swimming right under us.

Special thank you to Dee. It was a night I'll long remember.

Oh yes, Dee took the pictures ... mine are on my missing memory stick (great job packing or unpacking - I can't find my bag of camera accesories now)

Thank-you for your report and photos!!!

Nice to read that you had a great time, Denise. Hope that you find your memory stick soon! I like to see photo's

Denise, sounds like you had a great time. The "sparkely lights" you saw is bioluminescence. It is really cool to see. I like spinning myself vertical or horizontal in a circle as fast as I can and watch the "light show." Here are a couple good links on it...

http://www.biolum.org/

Scroll down on the page for the info on this one...
http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/

(Message edited by cyndelee on October 31, 2004)

Sounds like it was a magical night for you, Denise! What fun. The town pier and that area north of the Divi is such a great place to explore day and night.

Cynde, thanks for the link...very interesting. I'll have to look harder next time we are down there in the dark in the water. Carole

(Message edited by Carole on October 31, 2004)

Carole, you can just put your face in the water, and move your arms back and forth really fast to see it too ;-)

Thanks, Cynde! I'll try that next trip in May. Carole

Denise - I love going with Dee on a night snorkel!!! She is such a wonderful guide and makes the snorkel a great adventure!!
I would recommend this to everyone who visits Bonaire!!!
You sign up at the Divi activity/information wall.