There are hundreds of places for scuba diving enthusiasts to go “blow bubbles” around the world. My favorite so far is Bonaire in the Netherland Antilles. I’ve been there 6 times.
You can be in a diver’s paradise in less than a 3-hour plane ride from Miami. If you’ve never heard of Bonaire, it’s the smaller island near Aruba. It is arid with cactus and the wind does blow. A favorite for windsurfing and kiteboarders too. The entire island on land and in the water is protected and has flourished with all manner of sea life.
An interesting man, Captain Don, put the island on the map for divers decades ago – diving freedom is seeing a yellow painted rock with a name on it and walking in the water, and going under to another wonderland. Actually, one of my favorite sites is Alice In Wonderland. An immense double reef covered with mushroom coral and teeming with such a variety of fish and other coral and plant life, you won’t know where to look. So sometimes you just stay still and let the wonder come to you.
Recently I led 13 of our First Coast Scuba Club facebook.com/FirstCoastScubaClub members to my favorite piece of paradise and we stayed at Capt. Don’s Habitat for a week. You have a choice to go on a dive boat up to 3 times a day or throw your gear in the back of a truck and find a yellow rock with a safe entry to the bluest, clearest water you’ve ever seen. You don’t need a wetsuit either and for me, a skin will do.
Divers will always recount what they saw on their dives. It’s a thing, a good thing and sort of bragging rights for highlighting, during the 13 dives among the vibrant various kinds of coral and abundant healthy plant life I saw and swam with; seahorses, tarpon, grouper, snapper, sting rays, turtles, hundreds of species of smaller fish, green and spotted eels, octopus, lobster and more. Everyone on the trip had tales and excited stories when they came back up.
While global warming and too many cruise ships on the ocean are causing problems, Bonaire is still relatively untouched by coral bleaching and the lionfish problem is basically under control, it is a place to bring you joy as you hoist an Amstel Bright to another glorious sunset and think about where you want to dive tomorrow.
If you are interested in our First Coast Scuba Club, we meet 1x month on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. You can find us on Facebook, Meetup, Instagram, and Discord.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a new or seasoned diver. All are welcome!
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Enjoying the mostly retired life. Playing Pickleball, golf, fishing, dancing, and laughing as much as possible. I enjoy dog being a dog walker & dog sitter extraordinaire.
