Bonaire´s Weather

While scuba diving in Bonaire is offered all year round, due to its more southerly location, Bonaire's weather is a bit different from Cozumel or the Cayman Islands. January through May, the water temperature around Bonaire is a few degrees cooler than that of the northern Caribbean. But beginning in July the water warms, and the period June through December is a good window, with the late summer and fall months being a sweet time to travel to Bonaire.

Bonaire Travel

Bonaire beckons visitors to share warm year round sunshine and a tranquil lifestyle. And the island life is truly unhurried, uncrowded and peaceful. Many experienced scuba divers consider Bonaire to be one of the most consistently spectacular dive destinations in the world. And for good reason, as there are almost no "non-diving" days in Bonaire, and that goes for night diving, too.

Diving Highlights: Visibility averages 100 feet and Bonaire´s reefs enjoy the highest diversity of reef fish in the Caribbean. In addition to over 350 different species of reef fish you may see hawksbill and green sea turtles, rays, tarpon, reef sharks, seahorses, frogfish, and even the occasional whaleshark. Bonaire´s extensive reef system also hosts a prolific number of both soft and hard corals and sponges.

Bonaire Weather: The northeast trade winds are constant year-round. Located well south of the hurricane belt and out of harm´s way, the island enjoys ideal weather with less than 20 feet of annual rainfall. Sunny skies and cool breezes are the norm.

Average Bonaire Air Temperature:
Day: 82° F Night: 75° F

Bonaire Water Temperature:
78° - 84° F

Bonaire Dive Resorts

Because of its renown diving destinations, there are many fine dive resorts in Bonaire. Captain Don's Habitat and Divi Flamingo Resort were two of the first, where many now-common modern dive practices were originally developed. More contemporary of the top quality dive hotels in Bonaire include Plaza Resort Bonaire, Buddy Dive Resort, and the newest, Portofino Hotel and Yacht Club. In addition to hotel and resort style properties, there are apartments and condominiums to provide all the services a dive traveler might wish for when scuba diving in Bonaire.

Other Activities in Bonaire

While Bonaire scuba diving and Bonaire wind surfing are the major activities to do, a number of other interesting outdoor and watersports activities are available. Because of the shallow reef structure, Bonaire offers great snorkeling right off the beach. Organized snorkel tours are offered to more distant sites and to specialty areas such as the mangroves of Lac Bay. Water skiing and parasailing are enjoyed, while those in search of more exercise will find Bonaire is also a great place for hiking and off-road bicycling.

Beach Diving in Bonaire

There is some excellent easy shore diving in Bonaire, one of the greatest attractions to scuba divers. Most of Bonaire´s dive resorts have good diving right off their own beaches, while a small pickup truck and full scuba tanks allow access to dozens of Bonaire´s dive sites up and down the coast. The Bonaire National Marine Park publishes an excellent map detailing both boat and beach dive sites.

Scuba Diving in Bonaire

Diving in Bonaire is characterized by clear water and a gently sloping reef structure. Often there are both inner and outer coral formations separated by a narrow band of pure white sand. The reef top, generally in only 20 feet of water, is lushly populated with gorgonians, sea fans, and waving soft coral trees. The population of reef fishes is good, and unique creatures like sea horses and frogfish are relatively common.

Bonaire Windsurfing

While scuba divers may have put Bonaire on the map, it is now also a well-known windsurfing Mecca. Lac Bay, on the east side of the island, enjoys consistent on shore winds of 10-20 miles per hour. The Bay's shallow water makes re-boarding safe and easy. As a result, windsurfers travel to Bonaire from around the world to make use of top quality windsurfing rental gear and instruction.

Traveling to Bonaire - The National Marine Park

Due to the foresight of Captain Don Stewart, Bonaire was the first island in the Caribbean to denote its precious coral reefs as Bonaire´s National Marine Park. Rather than allow anchoring to destroy the delicate corals, Captain Don began the ongoing project of installing permanent mooring buoys at every scuba dive site in Bonaire. Only one boat at a time is permitted on each mooring, so the diving pressure is spread out, and diver impact minimized. Scuba divers are required to pay an annual fee of USD $10 to dive in the National Marine Park and the rules are carefully enforced. Divers are strongly encouraged to watch their buoyancy and avoid reef damage. To keep divers from grabbing the living corals, the use of dive gloves is forbidden. The result of these efforts is a reef environment in more pristine condition than other areas that are not so lovingly protected.

Where Is Bonaire Located?

The island of Bonaire is in the far S.E. edge of the Caribbean, just north of the coast of Venezuela. Combined with its sister islands of Aruba and Curacao, the three compose a group known as the ABC Islands. Arid and flat with scant annual rainfall, Bonaire looks more like "Arizona by the sea" than a typical tropical island. But this lack of rainfall makes for good visibility underwater and as a result Bonaire is known for its consistently good diving.

Spoken Languages in Bonaire

A Caribbean island colonized by the Dutch, Bonaire enjoys a rich cultural heritage. Spoken languages in Bonaire include as many as four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, and the unique local tongue called Papamiento. There are also influences from Latin American and South America. The result is an interesting mix of European, North American, Latin American, and island cultures where all people are welcomed equally.

Boat Diving in Bonaire

For a dedicated diver, a good dive package in Bonaire would include two daily boat dives plus unlimited shore diving in Bonaire. Boat dive sites are arrayed north and south of the city of Kralendijk. Most Bonaire dive sites can be reached in a boat ride of only 15 to 45 minutes. The dive plan is generally a duration of one hour, with a 100-foot depth maximum on first dives, and 60-foot maximum depth on second dives. While the boat dives off the island of Klein, Bonaire can only be accessed via boat, and many of the dives around on the main island may also be accessed right off the beach.