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Diving Bonaire: Whale shark/turtles/dolphins
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2005-08-03 to 2005-12-30: Whale shark/turtles/dolphins
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By shawn thiele (BonaireTalker - Post #25) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 1:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I was just curious if anyone knows the best time of year to see the whale sharks/turtles hatch/dolphins and where the best place to see them is. I'm hoping the whale sharks happen to be in the week I'm there, but won't keep my fingers crossed. I've seen pictures of them and they just look like magnificent creatures. I've always wanted to play with a wild dolphin too. I don't think spending 200 bucks for a dolphin encounter on some island is worthwhile for some trained dolphin. I want them to interact on their own free will. Then seeing some turtles hatch would just be sweet.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Menno de Bree (BonaireTalker - Post #39) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 9:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Shawn,
If only I knew ......
Whale shark encounters on Bonaire are very, very rear. I live here now for over 5 years and I do a dive at least 5 times per week and I am out on the boat quiet a lot and I have never seen one. Dolphin encounters did happen quiet "often" but the last year it seems being less frequent.
Turtle encounters will happen to you. Your dive-shop knows where to take you and there is a fair change seeing them anywhere on the Bonairian reefs if you are shorediving.
Good luck to you, and I do hope that you will see the creatures you dream off.
Happy diving ....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Back to Jeanine, or is it Tribs? (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1386) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 9:29 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Shawn! I have seen turtles on both of my trips to Bonaire. We have found them on shore dives and on boat dives off Klein Bonaire. You shouldn't have any problems. We have seen only one shark but did not get an ID on it. I was leading and I am a coward, so quickly took the group in another direction (as fast as I could - LOL!). Someone on the last trip was talking about seeing the turtles hatch. They nest out on Klein and I believe they are protected. However, I think there is a turtle society that works with them. Maybe someone on the board can give you the contact information. I do know on our first trip, the kids in the group that were enrolled in the Aqua Kids program got to go see the turtles on Klein...so someone is taking people there. That trip was over Thanksgiving (did my first night dive on Thanksgiving!). Maybe Ann, Tish, or Menno know the contact information for going to see the turtles. Good luck and enjoy your trip (you will be addicted - that is a guarantee!).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1803) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 10:12 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I usually see turtles every time a do a sail to Kline on the Woodwind. It is very rare that I do not see one.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #399) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 10:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

to contact the turtle club you can email them at stcb@bonaireturtles.org.

while you're on bonaire you can stop by the carib inn...stcb gives a sea turtle information talk at the carib inn gazebo at 7PM on the second and fourth wednesdays of each month.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #400) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 10:54 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

i've never seen a whale shark in all our visits to bonaire. but i met someone who saw one on his very first dive there 11 years ago. it was a boat dive and he was the first one in the water. the shark was right there. he was awed but didn't mention it to anyone till they were all on the boat after the dive. when asked why he didn't signal the rest of the divers about it (they were all still on the boat) he just said that since it was right there on his first dive he thought they were fairly common and that they'd see lots more.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By shawn thiele (BonaireTalker - Post #26) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 11:37 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow talk about being in the right place at the right time. I wish I were so lucky in life lol.

As for the turtles I've seen many while out in the water, plus I did the sea turtle reserve thing out on grand cayman. What I wanted to see was them hatch at night and watch them scurry to the ocean trying not to be eaten by the birds in the area. From the research on that site it looks like the turtles nest all different times of the year and have a 2 month hatch time, so it looks like it's pretty much just a random guess as to which nest is going to hatch when.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Phillips (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #261) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 11:41 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Shawn, I don't want to burst your bubble, but a reality check is in order here. Your chances of seeing a whale shark are almost zero; turtle hatchings only occur at certain times on the uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire; and while there is a moderate chance of seeing a dolphin on the surface, the chances of interacting with a dolphin "on their own free will" is also pretty slim, though possible. You do, however, have a fairly good chance of seeing a turtle or two or three.

I assume this is your first trip to Bonaire. My advice is don't get caught up in high expectations for high voltage large animal encounters. That is not especially what diving Bonaire is all about. Tons and tons of small to medium fish, great visibility, easy 24-hour-a-day diving and the freedom to dive when and where you want is what Bonaire diving is about. If you want to take a look at some ID books to prepare yourself, you CAN count on seeing most of the following on your trip to Bonaire: tarpon, octopus, squid, eagle rays, schools of silversides/boga, seahorses, frogfish, jacks of all types, groupers, angelfish, drumfish, scorpionfish, trumpet/cornet/needle fish, barracuda, chromis, gobies, jawfish, parrotfish....the list is pretty endless, but these are the types of things you are most likely to see. It helps to learn a bit about them -- it makes you appreciate it even more. Bonaire is fantastic and is my favorite dive destination. You'll have a GREAT time; just don't be expecting the once-in-a-lifetime encounters of huge critters.

And, oh yeah, those once-in-a-lifetime encounters usually happen when you're NOT expecting them, and can happen anytime, anywhere!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By shawn thiele (BonaireTalker - Post #27) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 11:54 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yea I spotted a dolphin off the shores of the bahamas when I was there, but he just kept swimming, he was barely visible to me. The main thing we're going for is the "small" fish and the closeness of the reef. I wasn't really expecting them too much, just wanted to know if my odds were better than winning the lottery lol. Thanks for everyone's help

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Cabus (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #315) on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 1:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Shawn,

(-: "small" fish ... http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/30/248088.html?1132628724

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Gaunt (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #700) on Saturday, November 26, 2005 - 5:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Shawn,

We were fortunate enough to encounter a wild dolphin on one of our first dives in Bonaire. It was at the Red Slave site in about 30' of water. I was coasting along looking at the little critters on the reef when I happened to look up and see my wife frantically pointing in the other direction. There were about 8 of us on the dive and we all just settled down into the sand (we were right on the edge of the sand/reef. It never approached any of us, but for about 5 minutes it went back and forth between the surface and the bottom. Each time it went down it was nosing around in the sand - presumable looking for a snack.

We reported it back to the dive shop when we got in and although they believed us, I don't think they were 100% convinced until they developed my wife's photographs.

It was an awesome encounter...but it was completely on the dolphins terms. Remember, large animals blowing bubbles under water (ie scuba divers) is typically a sign of aggression or warning to other marine animals. Don't expect the 'wild' dolphin to come swimming over with open flippers. :-)

Michael

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tod Lube (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #127) on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 10:57 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I Shawn, and welcome to the site.
There are now three of us "cheese heads" here!!!
I put a slide show together of our dives if you want to take a look, just follow the link below...

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2473752&alb=0

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By shawn thiele (BonaireTalker - Post #40) on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 1:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

That was a pretty sweet slideshow. That Lac Bai(sp?) looked like a nice place for Carrie and I to hit up while we are there. We won't be doing any diving and that place looked pretty shallow with lots to see. I'm hoping to see those squid you had in your pics too. Do you take the kids when you go, or leave them with the relatives lol?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tod Lube (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #129) on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 2:40 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Shawn,
On our first trip Jen wasn't a diver, so we did a few snorkels at the dive sites. Andrea I & II were good, but Lac Cai still had more to offer.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Tubbs (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Wednesday, December 7, 2005 - 8:37 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We saw a Whaleshark at The Lake in 2002 and black tip reefsharks at Andrea 2 in 2003. I got video of both.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By shawn thiele (BonaireTalker - Post #46) on Wednesday, December 7, 2005 - 9:15 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Do you have the videos posted somewhere online or just on home cam?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Debbie Babcock (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2585) on Wednesday, December 7, 2005 - 11:05 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Chris, That is awesome to be able to see both species! I would love you to post some pics of them here on BT if you would be so kind! I have never seen either of them on Bonaire, but some folk have been very fortunate to witness a sighting of them!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ed Stewart (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Friday, December 9, 2005 - 6:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

6/24/2004 Jeff Davis Memorial. My father,brother and I were alerted by the sound of a passing boat only to see a Whale Shark.
If not for the noise to make us look we would have never saw it.

This was our first trip to Bonaire

 


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