Diving in the Forest
I slip out of the dinghy and poke my head underwater. Below
the mooring at the site called "Forest," I see French
Angelfish and Black Durgeons flitting over a sandy terrace
populated with hard and soft corals. Already I know that this
is going to be a great dive!
As we descend on the reef slope, I notice something that
looks like the needles on a pine tree. It's feather black
coral, but it reminds me of the piney woods of East Texas
where I was raised. I'm feeling right at home on this reef.
We continue swimming up current over a healthy reef with
a vibrant fish population. To my surprise, I look up and see
a turtle meandering clumsily over the coral. Hey, fellow,
don't touch the coral! Oblivious to our presence, the turtle
finds something tasty to chomp on as I hover over him in 80
feet of water. As he ascends, I swim alongside my new tortoise-shelled
dive buddy. "Thank you Jacques Cousteau!" I say
to myself as I have many times since we came to Bonaire. Cousteau
co-developed the modern breathing apparatus that has brought
this magnificent underwater realm within reach of recreational
divers.
When we return to the terrace below our dinghy, we're greeted
by two curious French Angelfish looking for a handout. I extend
my arm and rub my fingers together as if to offer a treat.
The bigger one cautiously swims forward and then...Ouch! Rough
little teeth nibble my fingers. I jump back, startled, and
then laugh aloud into my regulator. We play with the Angelfish
until our air is almost gone, and then reluctantly ascend,
concluding yet another memorable dive in Bonaire.
Bonaire, a cruiser's diving paradise
Diving couldn't be much easier for cruisers than it is in
Bonaire. The mooring field is located on the edge of Bonaire's
fringing reef, so you can simply jump off your boat and start
your descent. Independent diving is encouraged in Bonaire,
although going with a local divemaster may help you find things
you'd otherwise miss. We did 43 dives from our dinghy and
usually had the reef all to ourselves.
Great Adventures dive shop at the Harbour Village Marina
is the most cruiser-friendly place to get your tanks filled.
You can buy 50 fills for $100 or 30 fills for $75, plus tax.
They also let you rinse your gear in their freshwater tanks.
If you don't have your own gear, you can rent from them or
any of the other shops. For gear repairs and purchases, go
see Bruce Bowker at the Carib Inn. He pulled several rabbits
out of his hat to fix our gear.
If you aren't certified and want to be, Bonaire is the place
to do it. I got certified here seven years ago. It only took
four days and I never set foot in a pool. The entire class
was in Bonaire's bathwater-clear water. Some of the dive sites
are also suitable for snorkeling, but to truly appreciate
Bonaire, you need to blow some bubbles.
Underwater photos
Nick took these underwater photos with a Nikon Coolpix 5000
digital camera in an Ikelite housing. Unfortunately, these
pictures lack vibrant color because they were taken without
a flash. Nick's Ikelite flash flooded from a crack in its
housing on a snorkel in Venezuela. The flash had only been
used on six dives in 2002 and stored in a Pelican case since
then. After a month sitting in their repair facility, Ikelite
declared the $800 flash a total loss and offered to sell us
a new one at a slight discount. Not being impressed with their
service or quality, we passed.
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Deanna, below; Caribbean Soul, above.
Some of the best diving
is right under our boat!
Lush reef terrace on Klein Bonaire
Blade Fire Coral and Pencil Coral
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Stoplight Parrotfish, initial phase
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Stoplight Parrotfish, terminal phase
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Princess Parrotfish, terminal phase
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