No matter how brief your holiday, you can enjoy some fantastic diving at Bonaire’s wonderful house reefs, all of which are located right outside their respective resorts, and are a short walk from other nearby accommodations. Whether you’re brand new to diving, or if you have been enjoying the sport for decades, you’re sure to appreciate the convenience and beauty these lovely reefs offer! Let’s take a sneak peek.
Plaza Hotel’s 18 Palms
This site is named for the 18 palms that grow in front of the Lieutenant Governor’s house, which is situated right in front of the dive site. The area is home to southern stingrays and spotted eagle rays, and features a sandy channel that separates the reef into two long segments. You’ll find sleeping tarpon here, as well as a variety of magnificent reef fish and all sorts of small creatures. Depths vary from 29 to 80 feet. Look for sharks napping in the sandy areas next to the reef, and watch for spotted drum, angelfish and big grey angelfish, butterfly fish, fusiliers, and scorpionfish!
Divi Flamingo Resort’s Calaba’s Reef
This site is very popular with local dive shops as a safe spot for checkout dives, and it is also a favorite for night diving. You’ll find octopus and crabs in abundance here, as well as plenty of colorful reef fish, many of which are very friendly, thanks to the fact that they are often fed by divers. Maximum depth is 30 meters, with the reef top being accessible at six meters. Watch for the occasional ray or turtle, and be sure to bring your camera, as this is one of the loveliest reefs you’ll find anywhere.
Den Lamen Apartments’ Front Porch Reef
Also known as Eden Beach, Front Porch is located near the old Sunset Beach Resort, and is just north of the Den Lamen Apartments. There is an underwater webcam here, as well as a tugboat wreck, which is just off the old Sunset Beach Pier. Maximum depth is about 25 meters at the tugboat wreck, and you’ll find schooling cardinal fish, barracuda, sharks, and plenty of smaller fish, as well. Like the rest of the house reefs on Bonaire, Front Porch reef offers great visibility and light currents, making diving both pleasurable and simple. Watch for loggerhead and green sea turtles nibbling on the sponge growth and yellow soft coral that covers the wreck, and keep an eye out for nurse sharks napping in the sheltered areas beneath them.
Bari’s Reef at Sand Dollar
This is an excellent fish dive, with a fantastic reef that offers a colorful backdrop to the spectrum of swimming and creeping creatures that inhabit it! You’ll find all sorts of wrasse, angelfish, cardinals, doctor fish, fusiliers, and others swimming along with you as you explore the area – in fact, more than 300 species of fish have been catalogued here! Depths range from 30 to 100 feet. Keep an eye out for white and silver tip reef sharks in the deeper areas, as well as the grinning barracuda which love to patrol the reef in search of a stray fish or two!
Buddy’s Resort and Reef
With a resident tarpon that waits for divers to approach each night, plus lots of other fish, Buddy Dive Resort’s house reef is fantastic for all divers. With depths between 30 and 100 feet, and home to a spectacular assortment of crabs and crinoids that enjoy life on the reef, the site is frequented by divers from all over Bonaire. Watch for drum, wrasse, and parrotfish, as well as gray angelfish, butterfly fish, and other brilliant reef inhabitants during the day, and remember your camera!
La Machaca at Captain Don’s Habitat
La Machaca is a 45 foot boat wreck lying just about 30 yards from shore, in 50 feet of water. The boat was built locally, and is often used for first wreck dives and diver training. It is home to a somewhat enthusiastic green moray eel, and is swimming with all sorts of reef fish. The boat sits on the sand at 70 feet, and the top of the wreck can be accessed at 20 feet. Great for all divers! Watch for napping nurse sharks, patrolling barracuda, and even visiting pelagics looking for an easy meal, and keep an eye out for the loggerhead and green sea turtles that often visit.
The Cliff at Hamlet Villas
Located right in front of Hamlet Villas, and to the north of Captain Don’s Habitat, the cliff features a memorial to divers who have lost their lives. The cliff itself drops from 20 to 70 feet, and is beautifully wreathed in sponge and coral growth, plus it offers a wonderful look at the magnificent underwater geology around Bonaire. Home to arrowhead crabs, spider crabs, hermit crabs and shrimp, plus some friendly groupers, stealthy moray eels, and lots of other splendid marine life, this is a wonderful site that will touch your heart.
Small Wall at Black Durgon
Although you can get permission to cross the Black Durgon Inn’s property to gain access to the small wall, this little wall is such a fantastic site that it is often visited by dive operators. Here, a vertical wall that begins at 20 feet below the surface leads to a cave at 60 feet, which often shelters a few sleeping nurse sharks or even a turtle or two. The surface here is glassy, and visibility is excellent. Watch for rays, barracuda, and all sorts of other fish as you enjoy this spectacular wall!
Whether you visit just one of these sites, or if you have the time to experience all of them, you’re certain to enjoy your stay on beautiful Bonaire, and make memories that will certainly last a lifetime! Local dive shops do offer refresher courses as well as basic dive instruction, and many of them offer equipment sales and rentals, including underwater camera rentals. Book ahead to be sure you get to visit the sites you want to see most.