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Snorkelling off the coast of Bonaire is great entertainment for the entire family. Night snorkelling is another activity that should not be missed. All that is needed is a flashlight and some protection for exposed arms and legs. Night snorkelling can be done in any area you are familiar with. |
Snorkelling Sites
Rock Pile
This site is boat or kayak accessible and has an extensive shelf of gorgonians swaying back and forth and beautiful isolated boulders, star coral and huge, isolated brain coral heads. The shallows have beautiful white sand.
Karpata
Karpata has easy entry along the old concrete pier for both divers and snorkellers. Clear water, even in the shallows here and beautiful elkhorn coral formations are a must-see after entering. Large varieties of fish representing Bonaire's diversity and turtles are seen here.
Captain Don's Reef and South Bay
These sites are accessible by boat. Both of them are tucked into a bay on the south side of Klein. Lots of sugar sand in the shallows and extensive gorgonian forests cover the shallow sandy areas with beautiful coral formations out a little deeper.
Oil Slick Leap
It consists of open caves along the shallow awaits snorkellers. Entrance is by climbing down a metal ladder. Since the area borders an ironstone shore with no sandy beach area, the visibility is above average. The shallows boast good growths of gorgonians with large numbers of flamingo tongues clinging to the branches.
Front Porch
Entering Eden Beach and taking the right hand turn into the parking lot of Sunset Beach Property accesses this site. The access is quite easy and by travelling either north or south, you will encounter a large variety of fish. This is one of the sites for beginners.
Something Special
It is a site with good drift snorkel going north towards Dollar. Snorkelers have identified 75 to 80 species of fish on one trip. Be sure to enter on the Kralendijk side of the marina and check out the huge fill-rocks along the side of the open pagoda across the marina entrance from Balandra Restaurant at Harbour Village. To access it from the shore, one has to take the dirt road just prior to the Marina heading North and follow it to the waters' edge.
Windsock
Located just south of the airport near the start of the runway, this site has easy entry for beginners with lots of Elkhorn and fire corals that pierce the surface and serve as hiding places for a multitude of fish, rays and turtles. The best snorkelling is to be had at the north end of the beach near Plaza Resort. It can be reached either from shore or a boat.
Unmarked Sorobon Reef
You can enter the site by driving along the fence before reaching Sorobon Beach Resort. You need to cross the knee-deep water to reach the snorkelling area. If one heads towards the swimmers' platform and then straight out toward the exposed elk-horn coral, a well formed reef system will reward you. The area is rich with fish life as well as large patches of elk-horn and other coral species.
