Bonaire
Bonaire
Bonaire's pristine reefs and diverse marine
life are unique to the Caribbean. Because the
waters around Bonaire are designated as an
official marine park, diving Bonaire is like diving the Caribbean the way it used to
be - untouched and unspoiled. The island's location in the south Caribbean gives it
an arid climate with little rainfall; consequently, the waters are exceptionally clear
of silt, calm, and divable year round. It is an ideal destination for underwater
photographers. Water temperatures average a warm 78-84°F (25.6-28.9°C), with
visibility often averaging over 100 feet(30m), and frequently, up to 150 feet (55m).
Bonaire National Marine
Park
History:
In 1961, while most places were still nailing turtle shells to the wall and slurping
turtle soup, Bonaire was enacting legislation to protect sea turtle eggs and nests.
In 1971, at a time when divers carried spear guns in much the same way that
divers today tote underwater cameras, Bonaire banned spearfishing from its
reefs. In 1975, the island made it illegal to break coral, take it from the water, or
sell it--activities that are still practiced today in the Indo-Pacific. It was no
wonder, then, that the government of Bonaire decided to create the Bonaire
Marine Park, the next logical step in the island's conservation efforts. With the
generous financial support of the World Wildlife Fund of Holland, the Marine
Park was established in 1979 . The park's purpose is to ensure that Bonaire's
marine resources-its magnificent coral reefs, seagrass beds and
mangroves-remain intact so that everyone can enjoy our wonderful coral reefs for
years to come, just as they are now.
Exploring the Marine Park:
The Marine Park encompasses approximately 2700
hectares and extends all the way around Bonaire,
from the high water mark to the 60m depth contour.
Bonaire's narrow, fringing coral reefs encircle both
Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. The reefs are very well
preserved, very diverse, and support a truly amazing
array of reef fish. Recent studies by Dr. Callum
Roberts and the volunteer group REEF have shown
that Bonaire's fish population is the most diverse in the Caribbean and ranks
among the best in the world.
Typically, the reefs start right at the water's edge and shelve off gently to a depth
of about 32 feet (10m). This area, known as the reef terrace, is very narrow
along the north coast (as little as 20m wide) and much wider in the south, where it
may reach widths of 200m. In very shallow waters are encrusting coral
formations, which grow close the bottom to avoid wave action. On the reef
terrace, you will find amazing stands of elkhorn and staghorn coral, often with fire
coral, patch reefs, and dense stands of soft corals--all inhabited by a dazzling
spectrum of reef fish. The tangs and parrot fish will be out in force, grazing and
keeping the algae stands under control. Expect to see lots of damsel fish, with
butterfly and angel fish amid grunts, coneys, rock hinds and their
relatives--goatfish, hogfish, and an abundance of wrasse. On the bottom, look for
peacock eye flounder, lizard fish, and scorpionfish, all of which are so well
camouflaged that you may easily overlook them. Goatfish, by comparison, are
hard to miss. They make no attempt to hide their presence as they churn up the
bottom in search of tasty morsels. Be sure to notice the sticky tentacled
anemones hiding within the coral.
Then comes a transition to a zone
dominated by the mountainous star
coral, which may form huge
pagoda-like structures, pillars,
mounds, or even sloping,
overlapping, shingle-like structures.
This zone is known as the drop-off
zone, and it starts almost uniformly
between 10-12m. There may be an
abundance of soft corals and
beautifully colored sponges, as well as Byzantine stands of mountainous star coral
interspersed with clouds of radiant fish. Don't miss the fierce sergeant major fish
(they are actually harmless and aproximately 8 inches in length) defending their
eggs, and moray eels hiding out in crevices. Solitary grouper, large parrotfish, and
various snapper can be seen swimming the reef; you can also expect to see the
ubiquitous shoaling chromis, bothersome yellowtail snapper, and passing schools
of various jacks cruising by in blue water. Specials include tarpon, turtle,
seahorses and frogfish. Extra-specials are nurse shark, whale shark, rays and
dolphin.
Below the drop-off, the reefs descend sharply, and the mountainous star coral
communities described above yield to leaf or scroll corals, which cover the sloping
bottom like a beard. This area, known as the reef slope, is also where you will
find fine stands of black coral. Beware, the reefs on Bonaire slope down and
down and down. The fish here are similar to, but less abundant than, those in the
drop-off zone.
Bonaire also has some special reef features, including two examples of spur and
groove formations, where the corals form fingers which protrude perpendicular to
the shore. Typically, coral formations follow the contours of the coast. Bonaire's
reef forms also include buttress formations, where corals have grown out to sea,
forming a kind of headland with sandy valleys in between; a very well developed
double reef in the south; and several small wall dives. Bonaire also has several
large and small wrecks-the most famous is the Hilma Hooker, a freighter which
lies on its side at a depth of 30m.
Park Management:
The park is managed by STINAPA, a non-governmental, not for profit
organization run by a board of dedicated local professionals who donate their time
to protect and conserve the island's natural flora and fauna. In addition to the
Marine Park, STINAPA also manages Washington Slagbaai National Park, the
Barcada cave system, and the Karpata Ecological Centre. The park's staff of six
has a BIG agenda. More than 70 public moorings and 60,000 visitors annually
keep the personnel very busy. The moorings are vital: few things damage a reef
more than indiscriminately dropped anchors and their chains, which wrench coral
heads off the bottom, tearing their delicate tissue and killing them. Anchoring is
permitted in only one small area in front of town, and we're establishing moorings
for pleasure crafts so we can eliminate anchors entirely. Daily shore and boat
patrols ensure that the marine park is truly protected.
Remember the old
diver's saying: "Take
only pictures, leave
only bubbles." Happy
diving and snorkeling
in the Marine Park.
Park Rules:
Please make sure that you follow our park rules and report any infringements you
may see.
1.No anchoring. Anchoring is prohibited everywhere except between the
customs dock and the marina.
2.Public moorings may be used by any vessel up to 38' on first come, first
serve basis for up to two hours. You MUST put out a scope line which is
as long as your vessel.
3.Spearfishing is completely prohibited.
4.Do not take anything out of the water (except garbage).
5.Divers and snorkelers should make as little contact with the reefs as
possible: don't sit, stand or hold on to coral.
6.Divers should make sure they are neutrally buoyant and stow gloves.
7.Do not take any corals, seafans, shells or the like out of Bonaire.
8.Turtles are completely and internationally protected. Do not be tempted to
buy shells or other turtle by-products or you will be fined heavily!
9.Conch are also internationally protected. Taking back one shell may cost
you dearly.
10.Contact the Bonaire Marine Park to reort any infringements at tel: 8444
11.Finally, please be sure to take all your garbage home with you from your
outings. Our motto is "tene Boneiru limpi" (Keep Bonaire clean).
Research
Trying to run a marine park without information on reef conditions would be like
trying to run a business without any bookkeeping! We collect all kinds of
information, including boat diving statistics and a running log of all visiting pleasure
craft, and we have established a monitoring program evaluates long-term reef
changes. With the help of a bunch of amazingly enthusiastic and dedicated
volunteers, we've mapped the distribution of a colonial ascidian which seems to be
causing some problems on the reef. We have conducted preliminary diver impact
surveys, taken our first fish census, and collected data on fish spawning-and
there's much more to come.
