TRAVELSPECIAL
Bonaire freedom to dive
Bonaire is the Caribbean ’ s capital of shore diving , and rewards independent divers who like to set their own agenda . Photographers Keith Lyle and Jo Horrocks are your guides
Bonaire is located in the Southern Caribbean , just 50 miles North of Venezuela and along with Aruba and Curacao makes up the ABC islands , previously known as the Dutch Antilles . This puts Bonaire below the hurricane belt , with warm , sunny weather all year round and an average air temperature of 26 ° C-32 ° C . Discovered over 500 years ago by the Spanish , the islands were initially deemed ‘ useless ’… but how does it rate as a dive destination in the present day ?
The Bonaire dive industry was started by Donal Stewart , aka Captain Don , in the 1960s . He recognised the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystem , introducing permanent moorings and leading a campaign to ban spearfishing . Bonaire is designated as a Marine Park with a ‘ take only pictures and memories , leave only bubbles ’ policy . A mandatory marine park fee is used to support many conservation projects on the island .
Bonaire styles itself as a diver ’ s paradise and allows a huge degree of freedom , with some centres providing 24 / 7 support . For UK divers accustomed to being self-sufficient , Bonaire is an ideal destination where you have the option to dive the 63 officially designated sites , supplemented by another 26 sites on the neighbouring island of Klein Bonaire , reachable by a short boat trip . Many of the sites can be dived by either
Sunset over the Old Slave Huts
Diver and school of Scad at Salt Pier
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