RSSThe Bonaire Marine Park
The fringing reef that surrounds Bonaire is a National Marine Park from the high water mark down to a depth of 200 feet/ 60m. Every diver who has not dived on Bonaire must attend a diver orientation dealing with Bonaire Marine Park regulations and information. These orientation sessions are usually held at around 9AM the morning after you arrive on Bonaire, and you are required to attend and to obtain your Marine Park tag, which is necessary to legally dive in Bonaire's waters. The cost of the tag is US$10, and proceeds help support park management and services.
1000 Steps
Located on the hilly north part of the island, this site has beautiful panoramic vista for the snorkellers and can be reached either by boat or car. There are sandy patches in the water to enter and swim to your right where you will be able to stay in shallow water and view a variety of submerged iron shore formations. The reef begins to drop at 35 feet / 11 m and it stops at 130 feet / 39 m. Yellowtail snappers are extremely abundant here and furthermore you will see Schoolmasters, Mahagony Snappers, Horse-Eye and Bar Jacks, Blue Striped Grunts and lots of Graysbies. This is a site with lots of hard corals and purple tube sponges. Here fish congregate in the recesses, small overhangs and cave sections of the rocks. Huge schools of male stoplight parrotfish are here, along with blue tang, doctorfish, and ocean surgeonfish who feed on the abundance of new growth of algae growing on the substrate. Out toward the dive buoy is extensive coral formations and clear water where black durgeons and white-spotted filefish along with huge French Angelfish can be seen. Often turtles are seen not far from the entry point and straight toward the dive buoy. This is the only site where strong swimming night sergeants can be seen constantly in the shallows where the surf comes in. This dive is recommended earlier in the morning or late in the afternoon. There are more than sixty steps and at high noon they feel like thousand.
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