Diving on Bonaire
Bonaire is known as one of the finest shore diving destinations in the Caribbean, with beautiful coral reefs, tropical fish and several fascinating shipwrecks. As many of the island’s dive and snorkel sites are sheltered from strong currents, Bonaire is one of the best places in the world to discover the underwater world straight from the shore.
With water temperatures around 28°C (82°F), diving and snorkelling in Bonaire’s waters is enjoyable all year round. More than 80 marked dive sites offer beautiful coral reefs, hundreds of species of colourful fish, sea turtles, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, green moray eels and much more.
One of the great things about shore diving on Bonaire is the freedom it gives experienced divers. Together with your buddy, you decide where, when, how often and how long you want to dive. If you only need tanks and weights, you can purchase a tank package from one of Bonaire’s many dive centres. If you also need to rent dive equipment, would like to join a boat dive or prefer to dive with an experienced guide, read more about our partner divecentres.
With water temperatures around 28°C (82°F), diving and snorkelling in Bonaire’s waters is enjoyable all year round. More than 80 marked dive sites offer beautiful coral reefs, hundreds of species of colourful fish, sea turtles, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, green moray eels and much more.
One of the great things about shore diving on Bonaire is the freedom it gives experienced divers. Together with your buddy, you decide where, when, how often and how long you want to dive. If you only need tanks and weights, you can purchase a tank package from one of Bonaire’s many dive centres. If you also need to rent dive equipment, would like to join a boat dive or prefer to dive with an experienced guide, read more about our partner divecentres.
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Guided dive by Eric from Gone Diving Bonaire
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Snorkelen op Bonaire
Bonaire is a paradise for snorkellers. The crystal-clear, warm Caribbean Sea and colourful coral reefs make it possible to discover the island’s amazing underwater world often just a few metres from the shore. At many locations, you can simply enter the water from the beach or rocky shoreline and find yourself swimming among tropical fish, parrotfish, sea turtles and sometimes even a spotted eagle ray.
Beautiful snorkelling spots can be found all around the island, each with its own character. Popular locations include 1000 Steps, Andrea I & II, Te Amo Beach and Lac Bay. A snorkelling trip to Klein Bonaire is also definitely worth adding to your Bonaire experience.
Whether you’re an experienced snorkeller or trying it for the first time, Bonaire’s incredible underwater world is literally right on your doorstep. Explore independently or choose one of our favourite snorkelling tours.
Beautiful snorkelling spots can be found all around the island, each with its own character. Popular locations include 1000 Steps, Andrea I & II, Te Amo Beach and Lac Bay. A snorkelling trip to Klein Bonaire is also definitely worth adding to your Bonaire experience.
Whether you’re an experienced snorkeller or trying it for the first time, Bonaire’s incredible underwater world is literally right on your doorstep. Explore independently or choose one of our favourite snorkelling tours.
Bonaire Dive Centres
Bonaire offers a wide variety of excellent dive centres providing both PADI and SSI certification. From larger dive centres with several locations across the island to small, personal dive operators and instructors who can take you to some of Bonaire’s most unique dive sites.
Below you’ll find a small selection of our dive partners and some of our favourite specialised dive operators.
Below you’ll find a small selection of our dive partners and some of our favourite specialised dive operators.
Wannadive - Bring.Back.The.Fun
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Wannadive is a five-star PADI IDC Dive Centre, offering a full range of diving services from two conveniently located dive centres on Bonaire.
From taking your very first steps into the world of scuba diving, to a guided dive if you’re not yet completely comfortable shore diving independently with your buddy, all the way to professional training to become a dive instructor – Wannadive offers it all! They also offer boat dives to some of Bonaire’s beautiful dive sites that are more difficult or impossible to reach from shore. Wannadive also has a well-stocked dive shop, a large selection of rental equipment and plenty of tanks available in virtually every configuration. Bring. Back. The. Fun. Wannadive aims to offer more than just excellent diving, with a relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and special diving programmes. Guests staying at Casa Mantana Bonaire also receive an attractive discount at Wannadive. Ask us for more information! |
Dive Friends Bonaire
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Dive Friends Bonaire is one of the most comprehensive dive organisations on the island. With seven locations across Bonaire, divers can easily pick up and exchange air or Nitrox tanks, making it especially convenient for Bonaire’s famous unlimited shore diving.
Dive Friends also offers PADI dive courses from beginner to professional level, equipment rental, guided shore dives, boat dives and special night dives. Whether you’re taking your first dive or you’re an experienced diver wanting to independently explore Bonaire’s beautiful reefs, everything can be arranged through one dive organisation. As a guest of Casa Mantana Bonaire, you can also benefit from a discount on selected services at Dive Friends Bonaire. Ask us for more information! |
Special Dives - Experience something different on Bonaire!
With its wide choice of shore and boat diving, Bonaire has something for every diver. If you’re looking for something a little different, we highly recommend the following two operators for a unique diving experience beyond Bonaire’s usual dive sites.
East Coast Diving Bonaire - explore the wild side!
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A real must-do for experienced divers who want to discover a completely different side of Bonaire is a trip with Bonaire East Coast Diving, specialists in boat diving along the island’s rugged east coast.
Their specially designed Zodiac dive boats take you to unique dive sites that are difficult or virtually impossible to reach from shore. Here you’ll experience a very different side of Bonaire, with beautiful reefs and an excellent chance of encountering sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, stingrays and large schools of fish. One of the absolute highlights is Turtle City, which is visited during their regular East Coast trips. You can choose between a 2-tank morning dive or a 1-tank afternoon dive, always accompanied by an experienced crew. |
Gone Diving Bonaire
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Gone Diving Bonaire is a small-scale private PADI dive operation on Bonaire, ideal for divers looking for personal attention and flexibility. Eric offers several speciality dive courses and has extensive experience with shore diving on the normally rougher east coast when conditions allow. Depending on your experience and the conditions, he’ll be happy to introduce you to some of these unique Bonaire dive sites.
Whether you’re looking for an orientation dive, speciality course, complete PADI dive course, or simply an experienced private guide to explore Bonaire with – Gone Diving offers it all. |
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STINAPA
Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire (STINAPA) manages and protects Bonaire’s nature parks. In addition to Washington Slagbaai National Park on land, the waters surrounding Bonaire are also protected as part of the Bonaire National Marine Park.
STINAPA identifies 88 officially numbered dive sites, which can be viewed on their interactive dive map. The sites are marked by Bonaire’s characteristic yellow stones along the coastline and yellow mooring buoys in the water.
The yellow stones not only display the name of the dive site, but at certain locations also indicate specific entry and exit points designed to help protect the coral reef. The numbered dive-site system runs from the north of the island to the south.
Of these official dive sites, 51 can be accessed directly from shore. Simply park your vehicle near the dive site, put on your equipment and walk into the water. The remaining dive sites can only be reached by boat.
STINAPA identifies 88 officially numbered dive sites, which can be viewed on their interactive dive map. The sites are marked by Bonaire’s characteristic yellow stones along the coastline and yellow mooring buoys in the water.
The yellow stones not only display the name of the dive site, but at certain locations also indicate specific entry and exit points designed to help protect the coral reef. The numbered dive-site system runs from the north of the island to the south.
Of these official dive sites, 51 can be accessed directly from shore. Simply park your vehicle near the dive site, put on your equipment and walk into the water. The remaining dive sites can only be reached by boat.
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Nature Fee BonaireTo access Bonaire’s National Parks – whether visiting Washington Slagbaai National Park or diving, snorkelling, swimming, surfing or enjoying other water activities in the Bonaire National Marine Park – you need to purchase a STINAPA Nature Fee.
The Nature Fee can be purchased online through the STINAPA website. |