Hi y'all!
We will visiting Bonaire for the first time 7/24 - 7/31. This board has been a godsend, many thanks to the pioneers! We have a few questions if anyone can help. 1)We will be flying AJ from ATL to MB and have wondered if we can purchase alcohol in a duty free shop at the MB airport, I think our layover is app an hour island time ;-). 2)We have a two year old in our party and wonder if there are any beachy spots with shade so he won't absolutely fry as the adults will be snorkeling in shifts. 3) We have lycra skins, diving boots for the coral (per this board) but only have closed foot fins. What would the rental be on open fins? Maybe it'd be preferrable to go ahead and buy those as well? 4) What are sea wasps? 5) Do the upside down jellies sting? The stinging questions are from my 14 and 11 year old kids..PS. We will be bringing a car tag to trade if you're out there, Bas!

Masha Danki,
Lola

Lola, in re: some of your queries...

(2) Windsock/Donkey beach, right by the airport, would be the family-friendly beach. Clusters of low trees provide some adequate shade - enough to make it a campsite of choice. It is the most heavily used beach, by my observations. Plaza's 18 palms and Pink Beach both have a few trees that would offer some shade, and of course full facilities are just steps away at Plaza. However, these might not be the best snorkel locales. For the most gratifying snorkel (without getting on a boat) seek places like Playa Funchi or Boca Slaagbaii (in the park), which have coves showing a good new growth of coral and soft sponge even in the shallow depths. Even large adult fish are plentiful in the Funchi cove. We saw a school of over 60 adult tangs there in less than 5m depth. There is little shade at that beach, though, and no sand. Thus, Boca Slaagbaii might be the best choice. There are a few trees, plenty of sand, and large abandoned storm-beaten buildings (which are marked off limits facing the beach, but are not fenced at all from behind). We found that in the afternoon the buildings cast a decent shadow, so I suggest parking your vehicle on the back side of one of them.

(3) For snorkeling, as long as you have a place to stash your boots, you can wade out and then switch to the fins - this becomes quite an awkward chore only if you are wearing full SCUBA gear or are in significant waves. Open fins just cut out the step of pulling off and stowing the boots.

(4) Sea Wasps = No fun at all on bare skin, to put it mildly. Read more at http://www.extremescience.com/DeadliestCreature.htm. But I have not seen any jellies of either that size or potency in 2 off-season trips I have made in the past 22 months.

(5) All jellies can sting, more or less, but upside-downs are not considered venomous or deadly. If the kids are frightened, you might remind them that full coverage dive skins or wetsuits (even the thinnest) make you practically invisible to jellyfish. Although Michelle did report a bit of tingling on her cheeks when she swam face-first through a large cluster of tiny floating jellyfish during our most recent trip.

Enjoy!

-LS

1. You can buy it in the shops but there usually isn't time to get anything in MB unless there is a delay. You just go to the gate and get on the next plane.
2.Not much shade. There is some at windsock. Can someone else help out here?
3.If your dive booties fit in the closed heel fins they should be fine. You do need the booties to wear into the water.
4.jelly fish. Someone else can tell you more.

Have a great trip. You will soon see why we all love it there.

Thanks Leif and Courtney Ann! Great link Leif, I hadn't heard of the wasps until reading this board. I have ordered Paul Humann's set and Reef Fish Behavior but they've not arrived yet. We are so excited, we just read and daydream about Bonaire all the time...We went to Cozumel last year and became smitten with the UW world, Thanks again.

Diagnosis: "PBDTS" (Pre-Bonaire Dive-Trip Syndrome.)
Only Known Cure: Dive Bonaire.
Side Effects of Cure: PBD.

You all will be there the same time we are. We will arrive on the 21st and leave on the 28th. Where are you staying? Will you be diving at all or only snorkling? We are also traveling with our children ages 16 months, 8 years and 15. All girls. This is also our first trip and I can hardly wait. Who else will be down then?
Michelle

Jellies / Jellyfish Basics on Bonaire:

Lola et al,

I do not know about the liquor, but I study jellies (jellyfish) including the species on Bonaire. The upside down (to us) Cassiopeia jelly is not dangerous at all. They are common in the shallows in Lac Bay, and some other places. They are quite interesting to watch as they pulse about feeding.

The waters around Bonaire are as clean as you get in the Caribbean. Jellies are normal biota for tropical waters. There are numerous species in and around the Southern Caribbean, but less than in the northern Caribbean and Bahamas, and certainly less than Florida.
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach's books you have ordered has a decent section on Cnidarians (jellies), including relative toxicity. To clarify the oft misunderstood term "sea wasp", sea wasps is a common term used to describe a wide variety of Cubozoids (box-shaped)or 4-sided, 4 sectioned jellies.

The species in the weblink in an earlier post in this strand is never found in the Atlantic Ocean. There are several species called sea wasps, and some are found in the Caribbean, particularly Carbydea alata. These are normally found offshore, but are found on any island or tropical to sub-tropical coast in the Atlantic-Caribbean including here in FL. A couple of summers ago 2000 swimmers were stung off Hollywood Beach, FL by carybdeans.

There are a few small "poppers" on Bonaire that show up once in a while. The sting but lasts only seconds. Rarely are sea wasps found, but it is good to not be naive. There are several non-toxic species off Bonaire, and a few mildly toxic (may burn mildly for a few seconds). A common jelly, the moon jelly, is an oval-shaped with pinkish fringe tentacles are fun to watch swim. They are a favorite food for sea turtles, which are very common on Bonaire and also lots of fun to watch swim. A double pleasure is to watch a turtle eating a jellyfish. If you should ever happen to see a jelly with 4 tentacles hanging down, leave it alone. Of course this is true of the famous Man-O-War too, which are also rare on Bonaire, not in Florida and the Bahamas.

Here are couple of posts that include common sense and reality. Please note the vinegar in NOT recommended for any kind of sea sting. Even the Hawaiian website below reflects this change in the remedies recommended in the old and new parts of the website. There are first aid products now available. Papain-based ones show the most promise.

http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/portugue.html

http://www.bonaireenews.com/html/august1998.html#980824-stinging

So this is a little background on the jellyfish of Bonaire. Sunburn and post-Bonaire syndrome sickness are much more of a danger, since most folks can't wait to go back.

Snorkeling-wise, Bonaire is still rated #1 in the NY Times as the world's top snorkel destination.
There are literally so many places to snorkel right off the coast you can't count them. Remember, the faster your go, the less you see. See this month's Sport Diver magazine, with an interesting article "Bonaire: From Mild to Wild" for an interesting article, but honestly, you read more interesting stuff here on BT.

Have a good trip. I will be there here too if you want a nature tour. Be warned though peanut butter (pinder kaas in Dutch) and jellies make are great sandwich.

Hope this helps.

Bud Gillan
Flying Fish

Lola,

Regarding the liquor question...Ed and I always go through MB, and we always buy our liquor there. We have never had a problem. They have let us bring it in. Good Luck!

Liz

Michelle, we are staying at the Sand Dollar and only snorkeling, (biking, bird watching, scorpion hunting, windsurfing..ha) for now! Bud, wonderful information, I've always thought jellies beautiful but never considered the cullinary possiblities! We may look you up, we are nature affectionados and would enjoy the education. Thanks Liz, some nice Caribbean rum would cap off the Bonaire days nicely!

Hey Bud,
Thanks for the tip on the Astronomical Lounge, from another thread..We are also planning to star gaze and that looks like us. Do you know if we'll be able to se the Southern Cross there? Gosh I can't wait...I wish I didn't have to work for a living ;-)

Lola.

Southern Cross is a winter thing on Bonaire with the angle of the earth tipped so the northern hemisphere has more exposure (causing summer and longer days). But you will see lots of new stars and the Milky Way is awesome.

Good heavens,
Bud