Bonaire Is The World's Best Shore Diving.

As you fly into Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire, or even arrive by cruise ship, you can tell you are arriving at somewhere very special. You see no high-rise resort complexes and no superhighways clogged with traffic. You see a small beautiful island that is mostly undeveloped and surrounded by crystal-clear blue waters and healthy reefs. Even from the air, you start to understand why for 30 years divers have been saying Bonaire is The World's Best Shore Diving.

No crowds, Bonaire is The World's Best Shore Diving

Saying Bonaire is The World's Best Shore Diving is not a marketing ploy. The island is surrounded by the Bonaire National Marine Park. The park includes the shore from the high tide mark to a depth of 60 meters (200 feet). There are 63 designated dive spots mostly on the island's west coast. Only a few can not be dived from shore, and most are great for snorkeling as well. Each of the shore dive spots is marked with a painted yellow rock with the name of the dive site. Another yellow-painted rock shows the best point to enter the water. Boats are prohibited to anchor anywhere in Bonaire. Dive sites each have a yellow buoy for boats to tie up to. Just 800 meters from Kralendijk, is the island Klein Bonaire with another 26 dive sites.

Bonaire is located about 50 miles (ca. 80 km) off the coast of South America near Venezuela. Bonaire is a small island approximately 24 miles (ca. 39 km) long and a width that ranges from 3 miles (ca. 5 km) to 7 miles (ca. 11 km). Much of the roughly 111 square miles of the island is a national park. Bonaire is one of the ABC islands as well as one of the BES islands. The ABC islands are the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, hence the name. Aruba and Curacao are sovereign nations that are members of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Similar to Canada and Australia being members of the United Kingdom. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba known as the BES islands are the Caribbean Netherlands. These islands are municipalities of the Netherlands. You should also note that the ABC islands are outside the Caribbean's hurricane belt.

Bonaire is The World's Best Shore Diving

When you start looking at planning a Bonaire dive trip, you will start seeing some unique aspects that being the best shore diving destination brings. The Bonaire National Marine Park that surrounds the island dates back to 1975 making it one of the longest-established marine parks in the world. The islet of Klein Bonaire, which is just 800 meters from Kralendijk, is entirely under the control of the Bonaire National Marine Park. Boats including kayaks are restricted to landing on just one beach as the fringing reef surrounds the island all the way to the shore everywhere else.

If you are wondering if shore diving is real, your arrival at the airport terminal should set your mind at ease. The most common rental vehicles are pickup trucks, with racks in the back to hold scuba tanks. If someone mentions stopping at a drive-thru, they are more likely talking about picking up some dive tanks instead of a burger. Most of the dive shops offer unlimited refills for a fixed fee, just drive up, exchange your empty tanks for filled ones and you are on your way to your next dive. Many of these are also open 24 hours a day, in case you are planning a late-night dive or want to get an early start.

You can do a boat dive in the morning, and spend the afternoon and evening doing shore dives with no charge for the extra tanks. There are a few sites that are better done from a boat. So do those in a morning boat dive and select a few for afternoon shore dives.

This video is a few years old but still gives a great overview of the marine park. There have been some changes to the park fees. The new fee is the same for all users at $40 a year. While in the past, cruise ship passengers were exempt from paying park fees, in 2023 they are now required to pay a $10 fee for the national park. Scuba divers from cruise ships are still exempt from the Marine Park Fee in 2023, however, will need to also pay the $10 fee starting in 2024.

Bonaire Top Dive Sites

Scuba diver choice awards have listed Bonaire as the World's Best Shore Diving for 30 years. It is also frequently listed in the top 5 dive destinations in the world, as well as many other subcategories. You can imagine with such high praise and about 90 dive sites to choose from, coming up with a list of the best is a daunting task. You also have to consider that a few sites are better for experienced divers, and others are loved by photographers. Factor in how you feel about a surface swim and the list gets complicated. We could continue this list with dozens of other sites that are outstanding. Take a look at the Marine parks dive map and select your own choices for your bucket list dive destination Bonaire

This video features what one diver feels is the best, The views are amazing, please enjoy it.

Here are a few sites for you to consider:

• 1,000 steps: A small white sand beach, flanked by limestone cliffs is the home of one of the most popular dive sites on Bonaire. Located about 5 miles (ca. 8 km) north of the capital it is easy to get to. It is also one of the most popular snorkeling sites as well. The reef starts in just a few feet of water and becomes denser as you move away from the beach. There are a couple of very impressive patches of staghorn corals as well as sea fans. Further out, Star coral formations rise like a building from the sea floor. Barracuda and turtles call the site home along with many species of reef fish. Do not let the name scare you, It is really only 64 steps but after a dive, most divers say it feels like a thousand going back up.. They also say every step is worth it. The dive site depth ranges from 20 feet (ca. 6 m) to 100 feet (ca. 30 m). In season, this is one of the better sites to perhaps see a whale shark.

• The Double Reef: A little cheating here as the double reef is not really a single dive site but a few different ones close together. A set of double reefs provides some very interesting diving.
  

  • The wreck Hilma Hooker is located here with the top being in 60 feet (ca. 18 meters) of water and resting at 100 feet (ca. 30 meters). This internationally known wreck dive is located near the beginning of the double reef system. Access is available from a boat or shore. Close to shore, you will find the shallows full of fish. This encrusted freighter dive site was created in 1984 and provides many photo opportunities as the ship is teeming with marine life.

  • Angel City: This double reef site is good for beginner divers and experienced snorkelers. The distance to the outer reef requires some effort. The inner reef starts in about 20 feet (ca. 6 meters) of water, sloping to about 60 feet (ca. 18 meters) and the sand channel that separates the two reefs. The outer reef is about 60 feet (ca. 18 meters) and drops to 100 feet (ca. 30 meters). The site gets its name from the French angels found here. The visibility on this site is generally excellent.

  • Alice in Wonderland: Further along the double reef is this dive site. This site is further out than the other double reef dive sites, however, it can still be done as a shore dive. The first reef is also deeper at about 60 feet (ca. 18 meters). The name “wonderland” comes from the array of beautiful coral formations and marine life. The outer reef is about 85 feet (ca. 26 meters) and drops to more than 100 feet (ca. 30 meters).
    

• Salt Pier: Salt played an important aspect in Bonaire's history. Even today, salt makes up over 65% of their total exports. Salt is loaded upon ships from a long pier. When no ships are being loaded, under the pier is one of the best places to dive in Bonaire. One of the best sites for wide-angle photography in the world with impressive growth on pilings and schooling fish in the shadows of the pier. The depth range is 40 feet (ca. 12 meters) to 70 feet (ca. 21 meters). Before shore diving here, verify with a local dive center if diving is available.

• Karapata: Another dive site that ranks high among the best underwater photography sites in the world. There are massive elkhorn coral formations that stretch from ten feet up to the surface, which make stunning backdrops, especially if photographing models as well as marine life. Embedded in the corals are some old huge ship anchors. The depth is 20 feet (ca. 6 meters) to 100 feet (ca. 30 meters).

Klein Bonaire

Klein Bonaire by Falco Ermert

Klein the Dutch word for small, lends its description to this wonderful islet. At just 6 square kilometers or under 2.3 square miles and the highest point of less than 6 feet (1.83 meters), it is too small to be considered an island. A fringing reef surrounds the island with only one place, No Name Beach, where there is a break in the reef to allow boats to approach the land. Even kayaks and Stand up Paddle-boards (SUP) will be damaged trying to reach the shore elsewhere. Unlike Bonaire itself, Klein Bonaire has excellent fine white beaches. Most visitors to the island stay near No Name Beach, which is a perfect white sand beach. You are free to walk along the shore to find your own secluded location.

There are 26 dive sites around this small island, most of which are also great for snorkeling. However, all the diving is done by dive boats, and much of the snorkeling. There are two ways to reach Klein Bonaire, by dive boat or water taxi. Shore diving is not popular as No Name Beach is the only place a boat can bring you to shore. Snorkelers, however, can walk to where they want to try to snorkel not having to carry heavy equipment.

Also, check with the water taxi company if you want to snorkel. On some days and departures, they will drop snorkelers off at a snorkeling site, where you can work your way back to no Name Beach.

Klein Bonaire is an undeveloped islet, in the truest sense. Other than a few historical ruins of slave huts, and a wood information hut, there are no improvements on the islet. That means no vendors, no motorized water sports, no food stands, no drinking water, and no restrooms.

Cruise Passenger Tip.

Most cruise lines have shore excursions that will bring you to Klein Bonaire. On the shore excursions they take you directly from the ship to the Klein Bonaire, allow you a stay for an hour or two and then back to the ship. As long as you remember to watch your time, you can have a much better experience and one less costly by going on your own. The water taxis depart from a location less than a 5-minute walk from the cruise docks. Departures are frequent from both Kralendijk and Klein Bonaire. Bring your snorkeling gear, underwater camera, some water, snacks, and drinks with you to the water taxi. Plan out the time you want to be back and enjoy your beach and snorkeling time.