I'll be coming to Bonaire for my first time in October. I didn't see a thread about wrecks to dive in Bonaire. Are there any?
Thanks.....

We did a wreck dive about 50 ft off the beach at Harbour Village. About 60 ft dive down to the wreck: a Dutch fishing boat- Our first time there June 2-6.
Have a Great time!!

John, the wreck Lesa talks about is a pretty "new" one. Check this link 4 information on it.
The most famous wreck on Bonaire is the Hilma Hooker. Check this link 4 information about the site.
There's a deep wreck called the WindJammer. If u do a search on the bottom of this page ("Keyword Search") u will find a lot of information about it.
There are some smaller wrecks around. I believe Eden Beach (the NEW home of the webcams!) has one or two small wrecks in front of their beach.

John,

Welcome to the boards. There are also two small wrecks (boats not ships) in front of Captain Don's. One shallow and one at about 125'. The deeper one to quote a Bonairean friend is not worth the air it takes to get to it.

Tom

The deep wreck at Habitat is just the fiberglass shell that once encased a wooden fishing boat that has now gone the way of all wood in the ocean. The fish life around the 'wreck' can be interesting: I saw the 10' green moray there twice. Depends on what you are looking foe.

Hmm, I will have to check out the wreck Lesa wrote about in August. I did not know about it when I was there in April.

I dove the wrecks off Don's when I stayed there, can non guests dive off their docks? Just check in with the shop on the way down?

John,

I highly recommend the Hilma Hooker as it's the largest and most accessible of the wreck sites. I also recommend doing it the first dive of the day to maximize your depth and time. The ship lies on it's side and the shallowest is about 60' down. The bottom is around 95' if memory serves. It sits between two separate reefs and we've seen some large animals in the area including stingrays, turtles and some BIG tarpon and barracuda.

I would also recommend renting an underwater videocamera for the dive. I got one through Photo Tours for about $50 for the day. I still watch the Hilma Hooker dive video every once in a while.

I've also heard great things about the Windjammer site, but as deep as it is I won't be diving on it anytime soon.

Have a great trip!

Michael

Glen, You are so right - depends what you are looking for. Also the activity at every dive site is subject to change.

Both times I dove the deeper wreck there was no fish or creatures on or around it. The reef above it was teaming. Including a huge eel which was under the smaller boat - might be the same one.

John, Are you traveling with the Atlanta Reef Dwellers?

John is the vice president of the Atlanta reef dwellers. See www.reefdwellers.com

We have taken many trips to the Florida Keys and have been dive buddies.

I was disappointed with the Hilma Hooker.

Yes, it is large. Yes, it is a shipwreck. Yes, the water is clear. Yes, it lies between 2 natural reef formations. Yes, it is shore accessible.

No, I didn't find it a challenging or terribly interesting dive.

There wasn't much life on the Hilma Hooker. Because she's on her side there isn't a towering superstructure to explore and the exposed hull surface isn't (yet) a magnet for marine life. Limited (if any) penetration opportunity for those who would venture inside.

Perhaps I'm spoiled by artificial reef (purposefully sunk and well prepared) wrecks here in British Columbia.

Sorry to be a poo-poo, but I'd have traded the Hilma Hooker dive for another dive at Rappel in a heart beat.

Craig

I totally agree with Craig, did the Hoooker twice and both times felt it was a non-event. Have subsequently passed on the Hooker in preference for reefs... To each their own. And yes, Rappel is a great dive for my tastes.

Don't forget if you dive the Hooker, to check out the reef too.... if you do it as a shore dive, you can come up the reef slowly and check it out. It's a great reef, in addition to the wreck.

Yes Tom, not only am I coming with the ARDSC group, I am the V.P. of the club.
I like wrecks and I want to photo shoot in stills and video wrecks and the critters.

Michael,
I have a digital video set up that I have been using for about four years. I also have an underwater video light to go with it.
Thanks for the suggestion on the rental. Maybe some else with our group will take advantage of the rental.

John,

Enjoy!!! I will bet your October trip to Bonaire will not be your last.

Tom

John S,
Thanks for the link and a belated congratulations on your Flamingo Tongue photo - great shot.

Your club seems like a good active group of divers.

Tom,

I usually visit the deep wreck at change of light in the afternoon. The fish are travelling along the bottom break and, most often, some species is schooling on the lee side of the wreck. Not an 'exciting' spot but fun.

The big green eel I saw was later killed by the Den Laman crew trying to recapture it for their fish tanks, according to what I have been told. It was more than 10 feet long. Fairly sizable mouth, too.

One time I watched a bar jack going dark phase to be cleaned until I looked at my SPG and saw 200 psi and my computer showed some deco time. Made it, at a proper pace, back up to the foot of the ladder on Baby Dock (the deco went away on the way up the slope, as it always does) and decided to lie there and use the rest of my air for insurance.

That was when I discovered that my SPG read about 200 psi low. Now, if it had been in error on the high side.... Have you tested your SPG against a standard lately? Do you know of a shop that does when they overhaul your reg (I can't find one that has even thought of doing it or has a 'standard' grade gauge themselves)??? One quick check is to breathe a tank to zero on your gauge (on the surface so there will not be water in the tank) and then see how much is really left in the tank. Checking a tank with several gauges is also instructive if not an absolute test.

The 'you's just above are rhetorical, not directed at Tom specifically. This is a subject for all of us.

End of rant.

Tom, my photos from Bonaire were taken on a boat dive to Country Gardens. I had rented a Nikon from Tim at Fisheye Photo. I ended up with the best roll of 36 macro shots that I have ever shot. Valerie, our Divemaster, did an outstanding job of spotting for me on that dive.

Glen,

I did not take your gauge rant personally. We visited this issue together in the past on this board. Luckily for us, our end of dive experiences left us alive and on the surface.

I remember that eel which was on display in one of the most gross tanks I have ever seen, he/she was HUGE. Not the 7 (+-) eel that used to seen a lot under the shallower wreck. There was a large grouper in that tank as well, poor creatures had no room to move. The b---rds that killed that eel should have been keel hauled right along with the owners of that filthy aquarium!

Both times I dove the deeper wreck were during my first (5:30-6:00 a.m. start) dives of the day. I am now planning to dive it in the afternoon come October. Thanks.

Tom

John S,

Sorry, you were posting as I was editing the language of my previous post regarding the killers of the eel.

It is nice having two sets of eyes. Isn't it? Also it is nice at times to have someone there to top light or back light your shots for you. I am not in your league but have seen o.k. captures turned into keepers by having a friend help with lighting on some rolls I have shot.

As I said, I hope you folks have a great time. And even though I, like others here prefer the reefs in that area over the wreck itself, do dive the Hooker at least once or more if you enjoy it. That dive is a requirement to diving Bonaire;-{)}

Tom

Tom,

Again, Thanks for your comments. At that time, it was only 1 and a half sets of eyes. I have rediscovered great vision after cataract surgery and new lens in my eyes. I am able to put the clear glass back in my SeaVision mask and rid myself of bifocal diving.

While we have had some bad weather and rough seas in the Florida Keys for reef dwellers dive trips, we have always had great fun on are trips.

This trip is a little different because we are having 10 divers from the Tennessee aquarium join us. I think we still get others to join with us, if interested. See www.diverjim.com/bonaire/

John do the Hilma Hooker at daybreak and then again late afternoon on another day for a comparison of fish, light, etc. Also just west of the Hilma you'll find a double reef system you can explore for about 10 min. It's relatively deep but pristine. If you're comfortable with night diving the Hilma is an excellent choice.

Thanks for all of the good info on wreck diving.
John L

Glen

I had some rental gear in the Florida Keys that read 500 PSI High! Luckily I ran out on the surface on our first unescorted dive, I think it was our 9th dive. It was also as Hurrican Lily was approaching and a thunder storm had started -I have never had rental gear again.

The deep little wreck is a great first dive, we also found the green moray down there.

I love that outer reef of the double reef system! We did it twice on our last trip and will be doing it more this time (we arrive Sunday for 2 weeks). It is a bit deep but on our second dive we stayed more above the reef. There was a slight current so we turned it into a drift dive. One of my top two dives ever. There was a school of bait fish using us a shelter from some Jacks for about 10 minutes we just drifted along and watched the show.

If you try and do a drift dive here be careful, there are areas that if you surface will require a long swim before you can exit (lime stone cliffs) We had a long walk back to the truck but it was very worth it.

For years we boycotted the DenLamen Resturant because of the fishtank inside..and the puffer fish lights!!!...another way to dive the Hilma Hooker site, for diversity is to enter at Angel City and approach the Hooker site on the reef at about 40 to 50'..it looms into your view like a big whale approaching out of the fog
, we usually do a long rectangular dive across the top over to the 2nd reef and return to the Angel City...take your compass ...I hate the entry to Hilma Hooker, is always very rocky, and now with entry blocked by construction north of it, Angel City again is a good choice.