Our family of 4 will be vacationing in Bonaire for the first time starting on February 14. I can't tell you how excited we all are! We all love to snorkel, but my husband and I find that the girls usually don't want to stay in the water as long as we do. I've read some of the threads concerning where to snorkel, and appropriate foot protection, so I think we're set on all that, but I've an additional question. Are there particular entry sites that it would be OK for the girls to come back on land without us, while we continue to snorkel? It's a bit iffy, as we obviously will have our faces in the water most of the time and won't be able to see what's happening on land. Is it safe, and would there be anywhere for them actually to sit? Am I being paranoid even thinking about it? Would it be better for my husband and I to take turns snorkeling, one of us snorkeling alone (not as much fun, for sure or as safe) while the other sits with the girls. Most of the places we've been to previously (Belize, Caymens, Coz, Turks), we've been on boat trips, so it's been easy for the girls to just swim back and lounge on the boat, so it hasn't made much difference in timing.

Thanks for your help!

Denise

*We also LOVE to collect sea glass, anywhere in particular for that?

Most dive shops will let snorkellers on their dive boats, If you get the water taxi to Klein Bomaire you can all snorkel together and the entry and exits are onto sandy beaches. This is not the case on all shore dive sites from Bonaire. Try a trip with someone like Renee on 'Woodwind' too. Someone will give you details of a marine biologist who does good courses for children, I forget her name at the moment.

The marine biologist is Caren of Sea and Discover. She is great - for adults as well as children.
Michelle

I agree with Julia and Michelle. I've got 4 daughters and have never had any concerns about their safety on Bonaire. The water taxi is great to Klien Bonaire...but just remember there are no restroom facilities, beverages or food there...bring your own supplies!

You can snorkel from any of the resorts even if you are not staying there.

Donkey Beach (aka Windsock) has shade and benches. There is lots of sand in the water at Pink Beach...so I think the snorkeling is not as good as many other places.

Andrea I and Andrea II both have shaded areas now, but no benches to sit on.

Caren Eckrich specializes in kid programs...REALLY good with kids, but as Michelle mentioned also does adults (my mom..age 73 snorkeled with Caren today at Andrea II and saw a HUGE stingray). Caren's Website is www.seandiscover.com

Hope you enjoy your trip to Bonaire.

Scott

We stay at the Plaza Resort and they have a nice little beach with amenities (snack bar for drinks, etc.) I have done some great snorkeling there (rays, barracuda, marlin, lobsters, etc.) It is very safe. Lots of young people and activity. Even if you don't stay there, they have a process set up for visitors to use the beach. Enjoy!!

Sea glass? My 9 year old daughter says the small entry beach by Sand Dollar is easy pickings. Lots of (Heienken) green, some blue and red can be found along with a lot of 'frosted' clear or white. Happy hunting!

Thanks all for the information concerning boat trips and resort locations. We are saying at the Plaza so I'm sure we do that little area at least once a day! I' hoping for some nice "yellow rock" locations that seem appropriate too!

Thanks again,
Denise

Our daughter's came with us on numerous trips....Off the beach/docks of most resorts are fine....dive boats ok, they can come up when they want....Pink Beach, 1000 Steps, Ole Blue, Windsock, Bachelors Beach, Belham, Webers joy, Bari, Coconut Beach are all great spots....They will have a ball...

Denise,
I also pick up sea glasss. The Sand Dollar (amber,greens & clear-frosted) has the greatest amount to pickup. I pick up on both sides of the pier. Two other places are Chachacha pier (reds/blues) and Ol' Blue (greys/Greens).
Yana

Thanks for the sea glass info! I can't believe you actually find reds and blues! In all my years of collecting, on a multitude of beaches, I've only found 1 red piece, ever! I'm almost as excited about that as I am about snorkeling.

Denise

Glass Beach, Bonaire.

Denise,
There are many places along Bonaire's coasts to collect beach/sea glass. It is one of the best places in the world actually. Several old-time Bonaire inhabitants have outrageous antique bottle collections that are a testament to the days of 'yore when bottles where how things were transported. Kralendijk harbour had all kinds, shapes, and sizes of bottles on the bottom. Lots of "square" bottles (designed for the decks of ships so they won't roll, as they were laid on their sides). Many bottles from ships docked in the harbour floated over to Klein Bonaire and are embedded in the coral sub-structure or broken on the beach. There are history bottle books for those who want to understand more. On Bonaire, Berni and Udo Lusse, missionaries with Trans World Radio since 1965 have made a study of Bonaire's historic bottles with their German precision.

Glass Beach.
A little known beach (beachette) which is extremely hard to access and find to the north was named Glass Beach in the 1970's. Much of it is now underwater. This is like Indiana Jones finding the Ark of the Covenant for beach glassaholics.

Like Bonaire itself, you have to see it to believe it.

Good hunting.

Bud Gillan
Flying Fish
Florida