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Snorkeling Bonaire: Any recs for guided snorkel trips?
Bonaire Talk: Snorkeling Bonaire: Archives: Archive 2001- 2007: Archives - 2003-04-01 to 2004-04-30: Any recs for guided snorkel trips?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Taylor Winston (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Thursday, November 6, 2003 - 12:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My husband and I are making our first trip to Bonaire in January. I have picked up a lot of good ideas about where to snorkel from this site but I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for any guided snorkel trips - especially a particular guide or tour? In the past I saw mention of a person named "Bas" who folks said was great and I believe he led snorkel groups - does anyone have any info about him? Finally - if we only have time to do 1 or 2 night snorkels where should we go? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #9242) on Thursday, November 6, 2003 - 2:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Taylor, the Woodwind is a great way to go on a guided snorkel tour. You see it moored up off small wall occasionally. It is a Catamaran. I believe you sign up at the Divi for trips (at least that is where you signed up last July). I think Bas works for Photo Tours Diving, so you could email them and ask about it. Where are you staying? In general, most dive ops will have snorkel tours as well. You may want to email the dive shop at the place you will be staying.

Have a great trip!

Cynde

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By C Poteet (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #159) on Thursday, November 6, 2003 - 5:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Taylor -

Bon bini a Bonaire Talk! We hope you find it as useful as the rest of us who participate.

A couple words of advice regarding the Woodwind snorkeling tour that goes to No Name beach on Klein Bonaire (the small island right off Bonaire).

First bit of advice, take the tour, you will enjoy it. Watch for flying fish on the way over.

Two, make certain you have some type of foot protection (we use regular dive booties). The foot protection is almost mandatory to get into most snorkel spots (unless they are at a hotel with a ladder) along the island and to participate in the Klein tour to No Name beach hey are highly recommended.

The reason is that the tour is a drift snorkel. The boat is tied up, you swim a short distance to shore and then walk quite a ways "up stream" over broken coral and limestone. If you don't have foot protection, it is really tough. (We've seen more than one person just sit down about half-way and say no more.)

January is a great time of year for Bonaire. Enough breeze to be comfortable and great weather overall. Please do give us a report once you return.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mary Mueller (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #882) on Friday, November 7, 2003 - 6:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Taylor,

Just got back from a week of snorkeling in Bonaire!!

Agree totally with the Woodwind recommendation - if you can do it - do the Sunday relaxinfg snorkel - you will get Susan Porter as your guide and she is great.

We went on a night snorkel with Dee from the Woodwind at the Divi dock - she is also a wonderful guide!! we never did the trek across land - they dropped us off above the beach and we drifted to no name beach. This trip also includes another snorkel - we did small wall.

If you have time - do the kayak snorkel in the mangroves - the Mangrove Info and Kayak Center does these - you won't regret it!!

If you look on trip reports - you will see pics and tales from our snorkel adventures - I am still in the process of posting - so keep looking for new info.

You will need booties to do any snorkeling from the shore - the beaches are coral rubble and can be rough on the feet.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Taylor Winston (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Friday, November 21, 2003 - 12:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Mary, Charles and Cynde for the suggestions. We are signed up to take the Woodwind our first day there and I've looked into the mangrove snorkel tours with the Info and Kayak Ctr. Luckily we have booties we use with our fins since we used to dive before Jeff got bent. I hope to work in one 2-tank dive if I can talk him in going along to snorkel.

Charles and Cynde, I have seen a lot of your posts over the last year and have appreciated your input. Charles I noted you're from Dallas. I was born and raised there but my adult life has taken me all over. I loved growing up in Dallas and miss much about Texas.

 


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