Does anyone know if you have to apply to dive at this site? I know that you do if you want to dive at the Town Pier but didn't know about this one.

Yes, you do have to get permission from the Harbourmaster to dive at the Salt Pier. But it isn't a big deal. Talk to the dive shop you are using and they can help you. Primarily, it is to keep divers out of the water and safe when one of the large tankers is there.

Thanks for the info - the last time we were in Bonaire we didn't dive it because of a tanker being there so we didn't even inquire.

How often do ships dock there? In my 2 trips to Bonaire, I guess I was on island ~25 total days and never saw a ship. My friends were there 1 week and saw 2 different ship during the week.

I went to the Harbormaster to get permission to dive the Salt Pier. He told me it wasn't necessary.He said that only dive shops need permission, the purpose being to co-ordinate traffic around the pier, including salt loading.He said small groups like our three shore divers can dive Salt Pier anytime there is no ship at the pier.

I emailed the Harbourmaster and asked him "what do you want divers to do about the Salt Pier shore dive?"

His answer: The divers must have the dive shop call the Harbourmaster and get permission. He said they are currently telling walk-ins as well to do this.

Reasoning: The dive shops sign in each diver that gets a tank fill. So if something were to happen, the Harbourmaster can contact the dive shop for complete emergency info.

Ah, officialdom!?! The official, written response
(attributable?) and the spoken word
(unattributable?) can be different.

I expect that his involvment in scuba diving
around the piers in general is an unfortunate
necessity in the Harbormaster's mind. Divers
have done some dumb things like surfacing
just under the bow of a cruise ship trying to
dock at the Town Pier so she had to go out
and try again. That at least helped bring on the
'divemaster rule' for diving the piers in town. A
few affecting the many again.

And diving under the ships is good because
the baitfish come to school in the shadow,
followed by jacks, barracuda, etc., etc. I have
video to prove it. Something you don't see
otherwise.

Will we notice any differences in Oct from diving in May? What about the differences on land due to the change of season?,I'm curious.

Can someone tell me if you can still do night dives in front of the Sand Dollar? Also, what happened to Pink Beach. I have a group coming back to Bonaire in December and I have't been there since Lenny hit. Have been coming to Bonaire for 10 years, so I know I will notice some damage to the reef. Any places we should avoid diving.
Love the Webcam. It keeps me sane when I can't be in Bonaire.
Thanks for your help
Ellen

Let me address the issue of the storm damage and what you'll see that's different. I've been here for 4 days now this trip, and was here in March, both since Lenny, and was here in February and July of 1999, both before.

In the shallows, there's some damage, and the vis is down a little in some places. However, the fish life is substantially more abundant than I remember it being before Lenny. It would appear all the changes in the shallows has stirred up lots of tasty morsels for small life, bringing in larger life, and so on.

In our 5 dives since we arrived on this trip, we've spotted 3 octopus, 1 sting ray, tens of thousands of brown chromis, and uncountable other fish. I'm seeing more varieties of fish and greater numbers on every dive.

In the shallows, there's clear evidence of corals regrowing. Most of the staghorn coral is gone, but I've seen lots of new staghorn growing. That stuff grows pretty quickly, too, so it won't take long to rebuild.

Small Wall, in front of the webcam, has even more fish at the site than were there in March of this year (and that was up from before Lenny). I saw a moray out for a swim in mid-day, moving from one coral to the next, a pair of file fish puttering along, and so forth. The reefs are definitely alive and healthy. The corals in deeper waters are relatively unaffected other than the occasional rubble from the shallows that's made it to the lower levels.

While I miss seeing some of the large elkhorn corals in the shallows, overall I can't say Lenny had a negative effect.

Nature interacts in many subtle ways. In the forests of the western USA, forest fires are necessary for new trees to grow. Perhaps we need to have storm surges from time to time to revitalize the reefs?

I think you'll enjoy your trip. And thanks for the comments on the webcam. We've been having a lot of fun with it and gotten lots of great feedback from all over the world.

Dan

I took a pic of Pink Beach and Nukov too. in May2000, its posted under the Divi renovation pic by Robert Deal on yahoo. I'll be posting an update when I return from our trip in 2wks. Pink Beach was coming back. See posting of trip reports.

How does the diving at Salt Pier compare to Town Pier? I have done a night dive at Town Pier and loved the marine life there, but not the crowds. I'll be in Bonaire next fall for my fourth trip, having never been diving at the Salt Pier. Recommendations?

You'll need to get permission to dive there from one of the shops you are diving with since ships still come in and out of there. We did a nite dive, it was great: lots of fish, but it is difficult to get in and out of the water there at nite. Loose shells and a little bit of a current. Did not dive it during the day. Certainly worth one dive. Also dove town pier. Once was enough. Lots of brilliant corals, but I felt like I was diving thru oil and gasoline. We have been diving Bonaire for 10 years and continue to come back.

I personaly don't think you have to sign-up here. but what i could 75%- 90% gurantee is that if you arrive at the hotel either PLAZA HOTEL , SAND DOLLAR, HABITAT, etc... they would be gladly to assist you with your staying and arrainging time for your diving mean while your stay is on the island.. I'm creating myself a page on links that shows different links from all the hotels and address of them..
so if you want to e-mail me and drop me a note to see when the page will be working ; my e-mail address is infobonaireguy@excite.com ok. keep in contact.. and will here from you shortly....

I have dove Salt Pier any number of times of the years and have never obtained "permission." I do check for inbound ship and usually enter at Jeannies Glory (north of the pier structure), and following a 40 ft depth to the piers. You can hear the chain on the BIG mooring buoy for a reference. LikeTown Pier.. it is a fairly nice dive so long as your do not notice the trash on the bottom. It is an EERIE nite dive with the various piling appearing out of the gloom.

It is not a question of getting "permission" but one of safety. The harbour master can alert divers of ships pulling into tie up. It is a reccomended to follow the reccomended procudures of calling so that divers can be made aware of any traffic and ships captains can be on the alert for divers! If people follow the reccomendations, then it wont be necessary to pass a regulation that a local dive master has to accompany you like they do at Town Pier.

Michael.. your "safety" issue is well taken.