Sand Dollar Condominiums, Bonaire

Bonaire scuba diving is all about shore dives with stunning coral gardens and walls just a short swim from the beach. These colourful, light filled reefs are famous for massive hard coral formations, giant sponges and sea fans, and encounters with marine wildlife. In fact, some sites like Alice in Wonderland and Bari Reef have attained legendary status among divers with turtles, barracudas and groupers, and schools of tropical fish spotted on every dive. The island is also home to a surprising amount of macro, with interesting crabs, shrimp, and hard to spot seahorses blending into the dazzling reef backdrop.

Exploring Bonaire's east coast

Bonaire’s east coast dive sites aren’t for the faint of heart. Unlike the island’s leeward side, this stretch of coastline is exposed to the elements, making it prone to waves, surge, and strong currents. But, divers who are up to the challenge won’t be disappointed, as this is the perfect place to spot eagle rays, tarpon, jacks, and occasionally nurse sharks and mantas. Due to the currents, these remote waters can’t be explored from shore, so plan a boat trip with at least two dives.

Bonaire shore diving

With dozens of dive sites starting just metres from the sandy coast, it’s easy to see why this place has become a legend among shore divers. Visitors receive a map on arrival detailing where to find the island’s entrance point’s - each of which is marked with easy to spot yellow paint. Once you’ve selected your day’s sites, you’ll drive to your chosen spot, kit up, walk in, and kick out to the reef’s edge before descending. A wide variety of sites await shore divers here, with reefs, sand channels, walls, as well as wrecks and piers.

Klein Bonaire

Like the island’s wild east coast, Klein Bonaire isn’t accessible from the shore. But, these sites boast the country’s best underwater visibility, most wildlife, and fewest guests - a perfect combination for legendary underwater exploration. Just keep in mind that you’re more likely to encounter currents, waves, and rough surface conditions, with some challenging sites like Sampler and Southwest Corner suitable for advanced divers.

Wrecks and piers

Bonaire is home to two exceptional artificial reefs, both of which can be explored from the shore. The Hilma Hooker wreck rests in just under 30-metres of water on a sandy bottom, starboard-side down. This vessel was sunk in 1984, and decades underwater have lent it a thick coat of hard and soft coral, with plenty of small reef fish, moray eels and sea turtles, and cryptic macro species calling its hull home. The Hilma Hooker’s top deck sits at nearly 18-metres, making it an excellent site for multi-level diving, and easily accessed by divers of all skill levels.

The Salt Pier is famous for its coral-carpeted pilings and schooling fish by the hundreds - making it a top pick for wide-angle photography. But, underwater photographers should bring their macro lenses along as well, as this is one of the island’s top spots for seahorses and other critters. Explore this shaded maze of sponge-covered pillars in search of juvenile reef fish or head out over the white sandy bottom where sea turtles nap in the shallows.