Diving in Bonaire
Bonaire's pristine reefs and diverse marine life are unique to the Caribbean.
Because the waters around Bonaire are designated as an official marine park,
diving Bonaire is like diving the Caribbean the way it used to be - untouched
and unspoiled. The island's location in the south Caribbean gives it an arid
climate with little rainfall; consequently, the waters are exceptionally clear
of silt, calm, and divable year round. It is an ideal destination for underwater
photographers. Water temperatures average a warm 78-84°F , with visibility
often averaging between 100-150 feet.
If you are planning a trip to Bonaire and have a dive/hotel package you will
be given a thorough dive orientation and briefing before your first dive on
the island. One of the Bonaire Marine Park Regulations is for all visitors to
do a check-out dive as part of the briefing process before taking off on their
own to shore dive or going on a dive boat. The main reasons for this are to
have each diver check buoyancy so that damage to the reef is minimized or eliminated
and also to check out their dive equipment, whether it be rented or owned. Also,
every diver on Bonaire must purchase a Marine Park Tag for $25 (payable to the
dive shop), which is valid for one calendar year. Orientation procedures vary
from dive center to dive center, so it's a good idea to check in early.
The license plates on Bonaire may read "Diver's Paradise" but it
would be a mistake to think that great diving and snorkeling are the only activities
for which this island is famous. People who visit solely for the Marine Park
may be surprised to find themselves caught up in Bonaire's world-renowned windsurfing.
Other popular topside activities include: birdwatching, sea kayaking, mountain
biking, cave snorkeling, sailing or horseback riding.
Passport and/or Visa Requirements
US and Canadian citizens must have a valid Passport and a return or ongoing
ticket.
EXIT REQUIREMENTS: The departure tax is USD $32.00 per person, payable in cash
or debit/credit card (MC, Visa, Discover, Maestro, Kompa Leon all accepted,
but American Express is not) at the airport prior to check-in. Departure tax
to Curacao and Aruba are lower.
Additionally, effective January 1, 2008 there is a Security Fee of NAFl 2.50
(or about USD $1.40) due for each person departing Bonaire International Airport
(Flamingo Airport).
Immunizations
No vaccinations or preventative medications are recommended for travel to
Bonaire. Yellow Fever and Malaria are not a problem here. Check with the Centers
for Disease Control on recommended vaccinations for travel at www.cdc.gov.
Culture and Customs
The Bonairean culture is reflected in the faces of her people. Its origins
are as varied as are the ethnic roots of the 15,000 plus residents. The real
Bonairean culture is based on traditions that go back many generations and are
chronicled in the songs and dances that are performed during holidays and festivals.
It is also based on strong family ties and a general respect for nature and
an understanding of an environment that originally was foreign to those first
settlers and slaves that were forced to work the inhospitable arid land.
Influences from around the world have been combined on Bonaire in a truly unique
mixture, testifying to how successfully the people have been able to integrate
their different ethnic backgrounds. From Africa come the great festival dances
of the Simadan and the Bari, with their polyphonic musicality and a whole range
of percussive instruments. The Waltz, the Mazurka, the Polka, and a dance known
locally as the 'Baile di Sinta,' which is something of a fertility dance performed
around a maypole-all originate in Europe, as does the hand organ. The Rumba,
the Carioca, and the Merengue migrated to Bonaire from the northern islands
of the Caribbean, while Latin America contributed the Danza and the Joropo.
The United States provided its jazz rhythms.
Electricity, Telephone and Internet Access
Electricity is 127 volt, 50 cycle. 220 volt is also available at some resorts.
Most U.S. appliances will work, however a bit hotter. Dive shops and resorts
have stations for guest use for charging camera batteries, etc. It is recommended
that you use them to avoid damage to delicate equipment.
Cyber Cafes and wireless Internet services are available in numerous locations,
as well as several hotels and resorts.
Direct dialing is possible from most resorts. AT&T, MCI, etc. can also
be accessed. The local telephone office, Telbo, can also place calls to all
locations. For on island calls, dial just the last seven digits.
Water Quality
The water is distilled from seawater and is perfectly safe to drink.
Language & Currency
Papiamentu is the local language, but Dutch, English and Spanish are all widely
spoken and understood.
Papiamentu is a form of Creole indigenous to the Dutch Antilles, particularly
Bonaire, Curacao, and Aruba, where it is considered the national language. You'll
sound like a pro if you say "Bon Dia" (Good Morning) to the locals!
The Netherlands Antilles Guilder (NAFl) is fixed at the exchange rate of 1.77
to the US dollar for cash and 1.78 for traveler's cheques. Most stores and businesses
exchange it at 1.75. You can spend dollars everywhere, but will likely receive
your change in guilders. Traveler's checks and credit cards are widely accepted.
Be sure to have your passport or positive ID when changing traveler's cheques
at banks.
Time
Bonaire is on Atlantic Standard Time (AST). Same time as the United States
east coast during Daylight Savings Time (mid-Spring to mid-Fall). Bonaire does
not change time for Daylight Savings.
History, Art, and Culture
With a comfortably dry climate and steady trade winds (the very conditions
that have made it a windsurfing mecca), Bonaire has long been recognized as
an ideal locale for the production of salt. For over three centuries, the island's
culture and prosperity was dependent upon this most important of the world's
spices. Salt is still produced on Bonaire, though the stunning salt beds of
Pekelmeer are also home to one of the hemisphere's great populations of flamingoes.
Bonaire's first inhabitants were the Caiquetios, a branch of the Arawak Indians
who sailed across from what is now Venezuela around 1000 AD. Traces of Caiquetio
culture are visible at a number of archaeological sites, including those at
Lac Bay and northeast of Kralendijk. Rock paintings and petroglyphs have survived
at the caves at Spelonk, Onima, Ceru Pungi, and Ceru Crita-Cabai. The Caiquetios
were apparently a very tall people, for the Spanish dubbed the Leeward Islands
'las Islas de los Gigantes' (the islands of the giants). The name the Caiquetios
given to their island was adapted into Spanish as 'Boynay.'
Location and Size
Bonaire is located 50 miles north of Venezuela and 86 miles east of Aruba,
well outside of the hurricane belt. It is part of the A-B-C (Aruba - Bonaire
- Curacao) island chain.
Bonaire is 24 miles long and 3-5 miles wide, 112 sq. miles in area. Klein Bonaire,
an island off the west coast, is 1500 acres.
Population
Approx. 15,000 people