Over the past two decades, my wife and I have been scuba diving all over the planet. We've explored the near-freezing waters of Lake Baikal in Siberia and the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. We've dived with sea lions in Galapagos and with sharks in the Bahamas. We've even dived down to an underwater hotel, the Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Fla., and to an active underwater volcano in Indonesia. One of our favorite places to dive is Bonaire, a small desertlike island in the Netherlands Antilles, 24 miles long and 3-7 miles wide. It is one of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao), 30 miles from Curacao and 50 miles north of Venezuela. We like Bonaire because we like to watch and photograph fish. Why Bonaire? Because there are more species of fish in the waters around Bonaire than in any other diving destination in the Caribbean. Who says? One of most respected fish-watching organizations in the world, R.E.E.F. (Reef Environmental Education Foundation). Proof of Bonaire's fish diversity can be found on the R.E.E.F.'s Web site (www.reef.org). Here you'll find a complete listing of diving destinations paired with fish species data. "Bonaire is the fish capital of the Caribbean," says Jerry Ligon, the island's undisputed fish-watching king and onsite naturalist at Sand Dollar Dive & Photo. (The island is also known for its large population of orange-pink flamingoes.) As a result of its rich underwater diversity, fish-watchers from around the world are drawn to the warm and clear waters of Bonaire. But its more than colorful fishes and fish numbers that make Bonaire such a great fish-watching destination. Bonaire diving is easy, with most of the dive sites located on the lee side of the island, where they are well-protected from wind and waves. That means calm water, which means getting seasick is unlikely. (Even after 20 years of scuba diving, I pray for calm water.) There's more. Dive sites on Bonaire are varied and plentiful. About 60 sites are located around the main island of Bonaire; another 26 sites are located off the adjacent island of Klein Bonaire. Rounding out the "pluses" for Bonaire fish watching is the island's marine park system, which was set up more than 20 years ago. The system keeps the reefs healthy, so the hard and soft corals are thriving. And fish love healthy reefs, which provide food and shelter. All that adds up to a winning combination for scuba divers and a super site for fish watching. Why watch fishes? We have found, as many other scuba divers have found, that learning the correct names of the common fishes is fun (creole wrasse sure beats "small blue fish"). Once the common fishes are identified, it's a challenge to seek out and identify the shy and reclusive species. What's more, it's a real thrill to spot a rare fish to add to your "life list" (a list of all the species you've seen). The bottom line is that fish watching is fun; it can add an unexpected dimension to your diving pleasure. | | If you are new to scuba diving and fish watching, Bonaire is a great place to get started. Jerry Ligon, the naturalist, recommends that you prepare for a fish-watching dive trip before you leave home. To start, he suggests that you log onto the R.E.E.F.s Web site and take the fish ID test, which you'll find under "Fish Gallery" on the home page. So, how do you find fishes? Ask an expert, of course. According to staff naturalist guide Ditte Preker, "Different reef habitats are home to different species. To see the most fish species, you need to dive a variety of sites." Ditte also advises divers to visit four locations: northern, southern and middle dive sites on Bonaire, and a few locations off Klein Bonaire. On a previous visit to Bonaire, we found an abundance of fish life on the reef. Because we like to watch fish and take underwater photos, the freedom to dive by ourselves any time of day or night was a real pleasure. What did we see? Lots of creole wrasse, tangs, damselfish, chromis, goatfish and grunts active at the reef crest. In fact, most of the common fish can be found in these waters. But, we also enjoyed finning around in the shallow coral rubble where we found flounders and a few cleaning stations (places where large fish goes to get parasites removed by smaller fish). A dive trip to Bonaire would not be complete without a night dive at Town Pier. Located near the center of town, this pier acts as an artificial reef attracting an abundance of fish and invertebrate life. You'll need to use your "small eyes" to locate many of the inhabitants here. Look for the sharpnose puffer among the encrusting sponges and the scorpionfish between the "tire corals." Shine your torch light into the waters around the pier and you may see a tarpon cruise by with a silvery flash. Klein Bonaire is prime fish-watching country in the drop-offs, slopes, patch reefs and shallows. We spotted groupers, snappers, angelfish, trumpetfish and the ever popular frogfish. We also found a sea horse -- a great sighting indeed! As fish watchers and photographers, we'll keep visiting Bonaire. We enjoy the diving, well-run resorts, expert guides, seafood restaurants, sight-seeing and the general friendly feel of the island. And there's always a new fish to be spotted, identified and captured on film or a digital chip. SCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
