Hi iam going on holliday to Bonaire in the winter, iam planning to get my scuba licence there. Now i hear everybody say there are no big fish in the surroundings of Bonaire. Is this true? because i love to see a shark, manta or dolphins or other big fish.
thx for the help

The biggest that you are likely to see on the west side of the island will be tarpon, which as a novice should still give you quite a buzz. For any hope of seeing sharks you really need to be diving the east side which is a lot rougher & I'm afraid that you won't have enough experience after just completing your certification course to be ready to tackle it.
Ah well, at least it gives you a good reason to return next year when you will hopefully have a few more dives under your belt.

I'll never forget the first time Joe and I were night snorkeling and I shined the flashlight (torch, for you Sir Andy!) into the dark waters and this HUGE silvery and shiny fish was right there in my face....scared the dickins out of me! Had no idea what it was and I gave it plenty of room and its own "space" for sure! Scrambled out of the water only to be told what it was and that I had nothing to fear! Quite impressive fella, indeed! I had no idea I was lighting the evening's dinner for him, either, with the light beam...he thought it was a great thing that we were down there with our lights on. It was fun. Carole

Have seen a 30ft whaleshark in Bonaire..mantas are around, and lots of tarpon...but the beauty of Bonaire is the ease of the shore diving and diversity of the fish and corals...sometimes BIGGER IS NOT BETTER...those wonderful little seahorses are worth any dive ..right divers ?

Sharks, whale sharks, mantas, tarpon, etc. are seen regularly on the calm side. You just have to be in the right place at the right time.

Thats what its all about...being in the right place at the right time...as IN THE WATER.. and taking the time to look around..can't tell you how many dives we've been on where people just have to fly thru the water and not observe half the life about them..also to look off the reef into the blue as well as on the reef..slow down and find the fishes

I agree, Debbi...one really should take the time to explore and soak it all in...I love to just float and hover over an area for minutes on end just discovering everything one would not notice by whizzing by quickly. It's darn relaxing, too! Carole

Whale sharks, manta's wooooow. Thx u guys and gals for giving me advice

Hey Boudewijn, while Bonaire is one of my all time favorite places to dive and snorkel, the odds of your seeing a whale shark are slight. as are the odds of seeing Mantas, dolphins or the occasional pilot whale. But who cares? The truth is that Bonaire is one of the most relaxing, breathtaking, easy to explore ecosystems you will ever see. There is so much to see (like the caves on the east coast) and do (Like a volunteer rescue of an injured Donkey) that in the few trips my wife and I have taken to Bonaire, we have yet to make it to washington slagbaii park(spelling?) We keep running out of time...darn it!
We have seen turtles, dolphins, eagle rays(off klein) and tarpon. Oh yes, Baracuda are qiute common, as well as stingrays in lac bay.
But as you relax and learn to dive in paradise, take a look out into the blue once in a while. Or be on the look out if your the first person to round a reef. The eagle rays are shy. You just never know who might be swimming by. enjoy!!!!
The food is great, the people are great and the diving is even better. Can't wait to go back
Rollie