My husband & I are going to try a night snorkel by ourselves this trip. Any recommendations on which site we should try? Also where can we rent the lights we'll need? Thanks for any help you can give us!

Loved andreas II - did 3 night dives there in 1 week plus salt pier. Buddys rents lights (as I am sure most dive shops do) - only $5 per day but batteries are extra and expensive. Don't remember if they took c or d size - you could email buddys and bring your own.

Chris, may I suggest your first night snorkel is guided by either Dee or Renee. They do a wonderful job and will show you where to go. then you can go on our own another evening.

George:
We have been on night snorkels with Renee many times & she is great. This trip, however, we want to try it on our own. We were thinking about trying to snorkel either at the Divi or Eden Beach.

We didn't want to purchase dive lights & haul them down with us...that's why we want to rent.

Any suggestions/recommendations are welcome!

Night snorkeling on Bonaire is a real treat. Not only does the reef ecosystem come alive, but the water and its inhabitants put on a real show. From bioluminescent organisms to the fish life to reflective qualities of, well, everything moving.
One suggestion for any night snorkel is to do a late afternoon snorkel and just stay in the water to the transition times, watching the corals come out. The reef, feeding, breeding, and acute angle of the sunlight is a really interesting show. Plus being in the same area provides a context for the way a reef ecosystem changes the cast of characters. Andreas I or II are great night snorkels.
I do suggest you consider the warning about night diving 8 to 10 after a full moon due to the possible presence of sea wasps or box jellies on tropical reefs, including Bonaire.

Remember it is fun to turn your lights out for awhile and let your eyes adjust to see au naturel. Full moon snorkeling is particularly appealling.
Docks and sandy beaches are also good starter night snorkels for darkness orientation. The faster and further you go, the less you will see.
Happy snorkeling,
Bud

Thanks Bud for your advice. I think we'll try the docks first...Andreas I and II can be a bit tricky on entering & exiting.
I'll also check out the moon phases!
Appreciate your help!
Chris

There's a pier right at Cha Cha Beach, across from the Dive Inn. You can rent lights there, also. I can't believe how much we saw on my first night dive in November.
Just a thought...
Have fun!

If you are staying at any of the waterfront resorts, that's always the easiest place to go.

We always liked night snorkeling/diving at Plaza/18 Palm. It's an easy entry and the resort's lights help keep you oriented to the exit.

There are several tarpons that hang out there that will swim with you (a bit disturbing if you are not expecting them) to eat what you are showing them with your light.

Divi is a nice nite snorkel. Andrea 1 is also nice, and either salt or town pier, although these would need to be guided. Another option is to get up when it is dark. Enter somewhere you are familiar with by daylight, and exit when the sun comes up. (Easy to see where you are in the daylight, and you see the reef turn from nite to day). Someone suggested this on the board a few years ago, and we tried it. Very nice.

I took my sons (8 & 13) on some night snorkels at Andrea I a couple weeks ago, we saw a lot of good stuff.

If anyone stays at Eden Beach, I really do recommend night snorkling off their dock. It was both spooky and fabulous! All sorts of interesting things come up from the depths to glide by the rock underhang, perhaps lured by the dock's lights.