I’m new to scuba diving…really new. I started my certification process here in Nebraska, and finished getting certified while in Bonaire. I was a bit nervous to do my open water dives, but I had an extremely experienced instructor (thanks Ron!) so they went very smoothly.
Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.
Bonaire has shore diving off of most of the island, and the shore diving is pretty fantastic. We took two boats per day from Captain Don’s Habitat (where we were staying), but also had unlimited shore diving right from the resort as well. Several of the people diving (including Mike) went around the island doing shore dives from different locations as well. The island is very safe, so taking off and buzzing around the island in a little pickup truck is no big deal. Dive sites are marked with yellow stones alongside the road, so that you know where they are.
Because I’m not a terribly experienced diver, I don’t have much to compare Bonaire scuba diving to. From what the more experienced divers said (and the fact that Heartland Scuba took a group there in the first place), Bonaire’s diving is top notch. We stayed at Captain Don’s Habitat; and the resort has a dive shop on site. The crew there were really welcoming and helpful, and I was very happy with all that I was able to see while diving.
The wildlife was incredible, as we were able to see sea turtles, frog fish, seahorses, octopuses, and all sorts of beautiful and colorful fish. And the scenery and coral was gorgeous as well. Since I can’t adequately describe the beauty underwater, I thought I would simply share some of the beautiful scenery through photos.
I think my next step will be to take an underwater photography class, so that I can shoot even better photos on our next scuba trip!
If you want some general information about the island of Bonaire, check out Part One of my series. And if you’re looking for some information about the sites available on the island itself, check out Part Two.
by Lois Lowry
by Shayne Parkinson