This was our 3rd trip to Bonaire. We have been adventurous snorklers, feel confident in most of Bonaire's usual snorkle spots and were looking for something alittle different this year. We made arrangements with Dee from the Woodwind to do the night snorkle. As evening approached we began to get alittle nervous. We promised ourselves a bottle of champagne to celebrate our accomplishment afterwards.

As I said, we are usually pretty confident but there is something different about going into the ocean in the dark. Dee made this the highlight of our vacation. DO NOT BE TOO SCARED TO TRY THIS IT IS AMAZING. The best $20. I ever spent. wet suits and flashlights, snorkle lights are provided.

Dee makes sure everyone is OK and that each person gets a chance to see everything. We saw the biggest green moray I've ever seen, octopus, spiney and slipper lobsters, and all of the red eyed shrimp.

I can't say enough positive things about this experience and would highly recommend Dee to anyone who has been considering doing this but is nervous.

I did the night snorkel with Renee and that too was amazing. A whole new world opens up underwater at night. My wife and I even ended up renting some night gear so that we could do some night snorkeling elsewhere on the island. The first few minutes can be a bit nerve-racking, but once you get used to not having your peripheral vision, things open up like you would not believe. I too highly recommend night snorkeling while on Bonaire. Yet another cause of the very sad and upsetting PBD, and we only have been there once. Honestly, my wife and I are trying to plan a vacation in the states, and after visiting Bonaire, we cannot think of anywhere we would rather go!

Donna - I could not agree with you more about Dee's night snorkel. I make it a point every trip to try to do a night snorkel with her.

We would like to do a first ever night snorkel. How can I reach either Dee or Renee? Is it possible to do a night snorkel at the Town Pier or Salt Pier? Is either place good for snorkelers? Were you able to see alot of animals snorkeling at night as apposed to doing a night dive? It sounds so exciting, we can hardly wait til Christmas to get there.

Suzanne

Suzanne - Dee does her night snorkel at the Town Pier. She start there and then ends it at the Divi dock.

You can contact Dee by contacting the Woodwind - she and her husband own that boat. Here is her email address woodwind@telbonet.an

Their website is the following: www.woodwindbonaire.com/contact.html

Renee used to own the Woodwind and sold it to Dee and Ulf a few years ago. I have never snorkeled with her - but have heard she is great. I have met her and she is a wonderful person. Her email address is info@reneesnorkeltrips.com

Her website is the following:www.infobonaire.com/reneesnorkeltrips

We generally night snorkel around the Divi because that is where we stay. The rock pier has lobsters and sometimes eels. Orange flower (tube) coral polyps on the wooden pier supports come out at night and tube anemones pop up out of the sand. If you swim south from the Divi you will almost certainly be joined by tarpon after about 10-15 minutes. We had 4 or 5 of them swimming around us on our way back.

Thanks for the web contacts Mary. I have them book marked so we can contact Dee & Renee as our trip gets closer. It sure sounds like you had a terrific time.

We will be staying at Lions Dive, is there any night snorkeling done off the dock there? Do you just take your dive lights and go on your own?

Suzanne

Hi Suzanne, the night diving off the dock at Lions Dive is great. You will meet Charlie the tarpon and perhaps Charlene his buddy. There are also a couple of very persistant grouper and a barracuda. Lots to see but remember to find a shallow sandy spot on the way back up, turn off your lights and gently wave your arms

Sorry, didn't answer the last bit of your question, just take your light and step into the water. Look for a partially sunk concrete block that forms a triangle, this is a good sea mark back to the docks.

Julia, she's snorkeling. But I imagine the snorkeling off the dock is as easy as you say too. One thing though: if you see a diver below you and he or she looks up, don't shine your light directly into their eyes - you'll blind them, and they could get cranky.

I think everything I said applies to snokelling and diving, the tarpons and the barracuda have certainly scared divers and snorkellers alike.

Of course. I was just picturing a snorkeler diving down to the sand so that they could see whatever it was to be seen when they wave their arms around.

As a diver, who sometimes snorkels between dives I did not think my night snorkel with Dee was going to be any thing unusual, except that I had not yet dove the town pier - BUT I was way wrong!!! My night snorkel with Dee was awesome. She is a great person and as she pointed out, under the pier the divers are most often looking up the pilings. What a great experience I had with her. It was the first time I found a frog fish on my own - bright orange on a piling. When we shut off our lights the little sparklees - I forget the correct term - were like fairy dust in the pitch black. The tarpon trailing us was fun as he darted under and by us after what we targeted for him with our lights. I agree with all who have recommended this experience and will do it again the next time I am on Bonaire :-)

Denise,

Its called bioluminescence, the following link will explain all.

Bioluminescence

Dvae

Thank you all for the info. We will be both diving and snorkeling. The night snorkel sounds exciting since we have never snorkeled at night. We also are going to try our first ever night dive while there. I thought the night snorkel would give us a chance to get an idea of what the water will be like in the dark. So we will do night snorkel first. We want to have a guide for our night dive so if you all have someone that you recommend it would be appreciated. Since we are staying at Lions Dive we will get all of our tanks from Buddy's shop, we're bringing all of our own gear including our dive lights so all we will need is the guide.

Thanks again everyone for all your help.

Suzanne

=Anybody knows the email or fax number of Dee? The charming lady that owns the boat and guides night snorkeling?
We are coming back!

Edna Herrmann

Edna, Mary M. refers to Dee in her post above.

Click here: www.woodwindbonaire.com/contact.html

I also e-mailed this information to you a few minutes ago.

Just got back from the Island myself. Did the night snorkel with my parents. Dee was awesome..
We saw the biggest sea turtle attached to the pier sleeping. The snorkel was amazing to say the least. It was like flying over a 40 story building.

What about night snorkeling at Eden Beach?

Also, are lights fairly pricey?

And are the temperatures such at night that a wetsuit is advisable?

Temperatures remain about the same from day to night. I just picked up three new UK C4 lights from Leisure Pro for $35 each, shipping included.

Night snorkeling Eden Beach is something I highly recommend. Do take the advice that Bongo's staff gave me and watch out for sea urchins. They move on top of the rocks and coral faster than I ever realized. You're best off entering the water by going down the steps at the dock to avoid them. There are plenty of lobsters, sea anemones, fish, eels, and other fun things to make it worth your time. Don't forget to turn off your light once and wave your hands around in the water to see the bioluminescent sparks.

I endorse John's view, night snorkelling at Eden Beach is a must. There are plenty of things to see, don't forget to look under the ledges. (The shore line is undercut by a few feet and is a natural hiding place for creatures both day and night.)

Another good plan is to walk over to Sand$ and snorkel back to Eden Beach. Makes a great night dive as well. Check the current first!

Have fun.

Dave

Remember to shine your lights on the little fish. A tarpon likes to come up and and just under you and watch the fish. Shine the yellow ones....he likes to eat the yellow ones. But he doesn't tip.

Here is the part of the undercut I mentioned above.

If anyone is apprehensive about night snorkelling it’s a good idea to start just before Sunset. It’s light enough to help getting in and it’s easy to back off before its too dark. It can also be a great way to experience a sunset.

Dave

Donna,

You are right. Dee has been educating and exciting folks about the wonders of the sea for many years. She can find the darnest cool stuff.
Thanks for the post and info.
Bud

Night snorkelers,

(Obi-Wan Kenobe voice) Turn off your lights, use the force!

Some of the critters you want to see during a night snorkel are photo sensitive. If you must use your light then use your index and big fingers as a sort of iris in front of your flashlight, thereby limiting the light and not scaring the heck out of the critters.

It's also fun to turn off your light altogether and just watch the flashing of the bioluminescent critters as they go about their normal nocturnal routines.

Hey! Where are you? Over HERE!

That's my verbal interpretation of little bits of lights.


Have a great time.

So, who can tell me the difference between two different types of bioluminescence we saw? The first were like little pinpoints of lights. The second (seen at Sweet Dreams) were like little flashing corkscrews. I wish I coulda taken a photo for you; they were just too cool.

Hi Michelle,

The flashing corkscrews were probably ostracods. Here is Caren from Sea and Discover's link.

I really don't know what the other pinpoints were other than to say that I know what you mean.

Mare, the critter nerd

John's right about the urchins....when I was exiting from our night dive at Buddy's, the surge pushed my leg against an urchin....I was wearing a 3 mm wetsuit, but the spine went through it like it wasn't there....the sting was quite painful initially, but went away very quickly....more of a scare/shock than anything....almost as shocking as when I first met Charlie...his big luminescent eye glowing less than a couple of feet from me on my right...what a way to meet a tarpon

Thanks Mare. Those swirling luminescing critters sounds exactly like what we saw. And it lasted MUCH longer than 5 minutes!! It was magical.

Another ostracod thread Michelle is HERE

Thanks Seb. I appreciate your, and everyone else here on BT, willingness to
a) repeat yourselves, almost endlessly
b) teach us amateurs
c) keep up a sense of humor about the whole thing.

You are quite a gentleman.

Here is another critter to look for under the 'undercut' across the front of Bonaire Beach/Den Laman.



This is the Flaming Reef Lobster, Enoplometopus antillensis, that has been identified from Bermuda south to St. Helena and from Panama east to West Africa. I believe there is a pic in the Humann/DeLoach critter book that was taken on Bonaire (Can't find my copy now!)

They are very shy of white light, so point a *small* light away from the undercut and then work the edge of the beam closer so you can just see under the overhang. (This works for other night creatures also.)

They have been seen on Bonaire from south of the Town Pier to north of Sand Dollar, in from a few inches of water to 130'. Just very shy.

I would enjoy hearing about any sightings of E.a.. Time of day, location, depth, description of hole, etc., appreciated.

Glen, we saw one of these lobsters on a twilight (crepuscular) dive at Oil Slick Leap. It was a flitful critter - dashing out of our light and skittering away to get under cover. We were in less than 30 feet of water, on our way to the ladder.

We also saw one in Dominica and I would have to check my dive log for particulars.

Lovely lobster!

Mare

I thought we saw a copper lobster, I'll have to look that one up!