Hello, We are about to leave for a week vacation in Bonaire. We have a 7 year old son who is very excited to snorkel. He will do great I am sure, but I want to make sure we snorkel the right spots so he doesn't get discouraged or tire too easily. Can anyone recommend good snorkeling sites that are
1) close to the shore so the water is not terribly deep and you don't have to swim too far to see interesting things ( it would be best if he used his energy swimming to see fish and not swimming to get to the fish)
2) the water is relatively calm so he doesn't get frightened by the waves (and so I won't worry either).
Thanks so much for the advice.
Tara
3)

Both of my kids have snorkeled while on Bonaire since they were 3. The water is very calm and clear so that is shouldn't frighten them. Not sure where you are staying but the Divi has wonderful snorkeling, clear, shallow (unless you want to go deeper) and many fish. We also always go out to Klein and snorkel.

If a few days into your trip you and your child are feeling really comfortable in the water I would suggest a sail on the Woodwind, they do a snorkel trip that is fabulous and Dee, the owner/guide is wonderful and is more than willing to help out. When my daughter was 7 and son 3 we did a drift snorkel and they were mesmerized, they got to see turtles, octopus and much more. If you have specific questions please e mail me through the board. (We will be returning in a few months, my daughter is now 13 and my son is almost 9)

Most any house reef should work out just fine. Our daughter turned 9 while we were on Bonaire and just loved snorkeling the "aquarium." The "kids program" she was enrolled in went there everyday and we snorkeled it with her after our dives. It is located just south of Den Laman, in front of Bari reef, so it is close to both Sand Dollar and Den Laman. As its name implies, there is a lot of aquatic life around that old pier. If you are not staying at Sand Dollar or Den Laman, you can access it from that lot off of the north circle.