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Trip Reports: Berlinda & Wim feb 1 - 10
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2005: Archives - 2002-09-26 to 2003-03-31: Berlinda & Wim feb 1 - 10
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wim van de Pol (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 6:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We visited the island for the 4th time last month. Stayed at Lagoen Hill: we are regulars there, we really like the atmosphere and the views, and they offer a nice deal. Rental truck included (in which we found a lost memory card - see the thread in Everything Else of some time ago).

Did some very special diving. One day Bas (you know ..) took us to Lac Cai on the east coast, and to BOPEC in the North. Lac Cai was the best dive we ever did on Bonaire. The stories they tell you about the numerous tarpon you encounter at the entrance are true. After crossing the reef top, the corals are huge, the landscapes are impressive and fish life is abundant. We met four eagle rays, for instance. Top dive site!
In the afternoon, at the BOPEC reef (just north of the oil site) we visited Bonaire's biggest coral block. Really huge, very beautiful. Had a nice goat soup for lunch (...)

We made some drift dives: Red Slave around the corner, and La Dania's Leap to Karpata. Adding some thrill to your dives makes them even more enjoyable!

In the presence of the divebus, we made a dive at salt pier. We were not alone: to be exact I was fifth in line to take a picture of a sea horse. The poor animal tried to hide for all these flashes, in vain. Fortunately, most of the days the little thing is left minding his own business.

Tried to dive the Windjammer. Got directions of some people, prepared for a short look at the wreck, but missed the ship completely. At depth, we searched the surroundings for some minutes in vain (we were probably too far north). We then turned our dive into a tour of the (beautiful) reef next door.

And, of course, did some boat diving with Toucan, mostly to Klein. We just cannot get enough of the reefs over there. Last year we visited the Maldives, and we saw Manta ray (need I say more ..) but Bonaire's reefs are something special too: there is so much life and color to be seen... With the boat we also visited Rappel, my favourite boat-divesite on the island because of the way you see the waves break on the rocks. And because of the landscapes, the variety in fish and in corals.

Took some pictures:

bas bij reuzekoraal
the giant coral block north of BOPEC. Bas is peeking through its top


Berlina & Eagle
Berlinda, with an eagle ray passing (Lac Cai)


2 eagles
hardly visible: two eagle rays

albino tongue
an albino flamingo tongue..?

angel
angelfish at Hilma Hooker

murene
murene at Lac Cai

anker
one of the anchors at Karpata

porcupine
porcupine fish passing at Rappel

sand diver
sand diver waiting for us at Rappel

mini file fish
At Rappel we found a mini file fish hiding near a sea fan. An almost perfect match of colour and movement.

There is more. I´m updating my website, and when I´m done I´ll let you know.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2072) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 7:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank you, Wim. Very enjoyable report and pics. We await the info on your website. Thanks again. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #692) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 8:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the great detail of your dives! Those Spotted Eagle Rays are elegant creatures, aren't they?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bob neer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #744) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 10:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

to those looking for some good dive sites...READ this report ;)

maybe i'll get as lucky...



 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wim van de Pol (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 7:05 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Could not resist showing you the funniest picture of our trip:

oog

This angel decided to explore the salt pier dive site together with us. He/she would not let go, so we accepted the guide. The three of us were surprised to see the number of divers gathering around the seahorse, the scorpion fish and the flamingo tongue.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jane Marie Garchinsky (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 8:18 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wim,
Nice pictures! Will you give us the particulars on your camera and set up?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eileen Kimmett (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #713) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 9:06 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

WOW! Great trip and photos! I love the clarity! I am also interested in the camera etc. We decided yesterday that an underwater camera would be a great bday gift for my dad :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Anthony Cooper (BonaireTalker - Post #21) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 10:05 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wim - For the folks who haven't seen them before, the "albino flamingo tongue" is actually the snail with its shell in an "uncovered"/natural state. The spots you see most of the time are not on the shell, but on a cowl - an extension of the snails "foot" - that acts like a fish's gills providing oxygen/CO2 exchange with the water, thus allowing the snail to breath. The cowl is extended and covers the shell most of the time but can be retracted when the snail is "threatened". Marine creatures are truly astounding.

dsao
Tony

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Meryl Virga (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3141) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 10:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great shots! helps with the winter east coast blues! Glad you enjoyed yourself!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ida Christie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #795) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 11:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wim, Great pictures and report.

Anthony, Thanks for the education.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bas (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #288) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 12:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Wim,

Thanks for the pictures and the trip report. Nice to see your pictures turned out so well.... we should try again sometime.

groeten,
Bas

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bas (BonaireTalker - Post #289) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 12:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Wim,

Thanks for the pictures and the trip report. Nice to see your pictures turned out so well.... we should try again sometime.

groeten,
Bas

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wim van de Pol (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 4:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

OK on multiple request: for u/w pictures I use the Sea & Sea Motormarine II Ex camera (35 mm)with Sea & Sea YS-60 strobe. Great advantages of this camera are the good quality of the lenses, and the possibility of changing your lenses under water (just in case this eagle ray approaches when you are busy with a macro shot of a seahorse). And by the way: the strobe is a solid piece of equipment: i flooded it once at depth, the batteries imploded, and after cleaning, rinsing with fresh water, and drying it just went on as if nothing had happened ...
I mostly use the 20 mm lense and the 1:2 macro. I always use FUJI Sensia 100 ASA slides.
By the way: Dos Winkel of Photo Tours Divers, Bonaire, has instructed me on the subject of u/w photography some years ago. He is really good.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eileen Kimmett (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #747) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 8:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank-you for the camera info! I just have to say/write again that your pictures are amazing!

 


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