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Divers Think Small At Buddy Dive
Go slow, look close, and think small. That's the message for divers participating in Buddy Dive Resort’s Marine Life Education weeks. This annual June event puts the spotlight on the things that swim, crawl, and hide on Bonaire's coral reefs.
A low-angle view from the water of the docks at Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire.
The host for the 2026 Education Weeks is Eric Riesch, a fish identification specialist and photo editor for the popular series of Reef Fish Identification books. Eric says the focus of this year's event will be hunting for the small things like blennies, gobies, and nudibranchs. A special lecture on the spawning rituals of hamlet fish will be followed by a dive to witness these behaviors in person.
A shy hamlet swimming on a Bonaire reef displays characteristic white and black coloration.
This will be my fourth consecutive year hosting the program that began with Ned and Anna DeLoach as hosts in 2002,” Eric says “I try to make it a fun week, starting with a topside presentation focused on fish, creatures, and behaviors you can see right off the dock, introduction to Fish ID classes during the week, a couple of boat dives to look for species with Buddy Dive guides and a mid-week mangrove snorkel at Lac Bay to get into a different habitat and see some new stuff.
A tiny, bright-red teardrop crab perches on the green tentacles of an anemone.
“Buddy Dive has a fantastic staff that is keenly aware of the importance of marine life education and how much that adds to keeping divers active for many years,” Eric adds. “I have met divers who have been diving for more than 40 years and still smile ear to ear getting in the water, in hopes of seeing a new species or behavior they have never seen. I hope to encourage you to have that same enthusiasm and keep hunting for new species to add to your personal life list.”
A blue Chromis fish hovers in front of a sea fan in the waters of Bonaire.
In support of Marine Life weeks, Buddy Dive is offering a "2nd Diver Dives for Free" promotion, which Buddy's apartment-style accommodations, a 7-day vehicle rental for unlimited shore diving, a free nitrox upgrade and daily breakfast. Reef weeks run from May 30 to June 20 of this year, and Caradonna agents can handle all the details of booking, inclujding air-inclusive packages.
A longsnout butterflyfish swims over coral rubble on a Bonaire reef.