Bonaire Diving: Discovering Shore Diving in Bonaire

Plus Fishing Adventures in the Dutch Caribbean

If you’re passionate about diving and want to experience the shore diving capital of the world, Bonaire belongs on your bucket list.

Part of the Dutch Caribbean’s ABC islands — Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao — Bonaire sits just off the coast of Venezuela and is only a three-hour flight from Miami. But once you arrive, it feels worlds away.

We planned this as a dedicated dive trip — though as usual when Bob travels with us, fishing found its way into the itinerary as well.

🌊 Why Bonaire Is a Shore Diver’s Paradise

Bonaire is surrounded by a protected barrier reef system within the Bonaire National Marine Park, one of the Caribbean’s most successful marine conservation stories.

Since the 1970s, strict protection measures have preserved:

Healthy coral formations
Exceptional fish diversity
Minimal boat traffic on reefs
Easy shore access

There are 86 official dive sites around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, with approximately 54 accessible directly from shore. Yellow-painted stones mark many entry points along the coastline.

Few places in the world allow you to:

✔ Rent a truck
✔ Load your tanks
✔ Drive to a site
✔ Walk in and dive

No boat schedule. No rush.

That freedom defines Bonaire diving.

Captain Don Stewart, a pioneer of sustainable diving, helped shape Bonaire into the diver-friendly island it is today. After opening the first dive shop in 1962, he worked to protect the reefs. Today, a dive site and a section of reef are named in his honor. You can read about Captain Don in the Adventures of Captain Don.

🚙 Booking Our Dive & Drive Experience

We booked through PADI Travel after seeing Bonaire featured in their magazine. The Dive & Drive package included:

Oceanfront accommodations
Rental truck
Unlimited air or nitrox

We stayed at Chogogo Dive & Beach Resort on Bari Reef — a top-rated dive site.

While Buddy Dive Resort is the most well-known dive operator on the island, it was fully booked during our dates. We also found their dive shop atmosphere less welcoming when we stopped in.

In contrast, Chogogo’s team was relaxed, friendly, and extremely helpful. The ability to walk from our room straight into the water made the experience effortless. Chogogo’s staff helped us with any issues, requests, and questions we had during our stay. Their laid-back, friendly vibe was a stark contrast to the ‘we are too busy for you’ attitude we found when visiting Buddy’s Dive Shop.

🐟 Day One: Bari Reef & Captain Don’s

Our trip began with the mandatory orientation dive at Bari Reef — known for having one of the highest fish diversity counts in the Caribbean.

The reef begins around 30 feet and slopes beyond 100 feet. Visibility was excellent, and we were immediately surrounded by:

Parrotfish
Tarpon
Angelfish
Eels
Schools of reef fish

After switching tanks, we headed to Captain Don’s Reef, named after Captain Don Stewart, a pioneer of sustainable diving on Bonaire who opened the island’s first dive shop in 1962.

The site includes an underwater diver memorial and a vibrant coral wall teeming with life.

Pro Tip: Bring sturdy booties. Shore entries can be rocky and uneven. Captain Don’s entry was especially rugged.

🌊 Day Two: East Coast Boat Diving

Curious about the wilder side of the island, we booked with East Coast Divers Bonaire.

The east side of Bonaire is known for stronger currents and rougher conditions — and for larger marine life.

We boarded a steel-bottom Zodiac at 7:30 a.m. and quickly made our way out of the reef protected bay into the ocean with 6–10 foot swells rolling beneath us. Our guide Flavia was exceptional.

Underwater, we encountered:

Turtles at multiple depths
Large rays
Green moray eels
Schools of fish riding the current

At Turtle Town, we saw dozens of sea turtles throughout the dive profile.

The east coast diving was the highlight of our week — so much so that we returned for a second day.

Note: The protected bay is a favorite for wind and kite surfers who were out in abundance both times we went there. There are also several restaurants, rental and souvenir shops just down the road from the marina.

Pro Tip: If you are prone to getting sea sick while diving, this may not be the best choice for you.

🚗 Day Three: Independent Shore Diving

With our truck loaded, we drove north to Karpata. After descending steep stairs and navigating a rocky entry, we discovered dramatic coral structures and sloping reef terrain.

Later, we tackled Oil Slick Leap — famous for its “leap of faith” entry or 12-foot ladder descent.

Visibility stretched to about 80 feet. We saw:

Blue tangs
Angelfish
Barracuda
Occasional eagle rays

Oil Slick’s overhangs and coral formations made it one of our favorite shore dives.

Oil Slick dive site - Bonaire - Photo courtesy of divers-guide

Oil Slick Image courtesy of Divers Guide

🎣 Fishing on Bonaire

Because no trip is complete without fishing for Bob, we booked with Fish with a Local and Captain Carlos Camargo.

On our first afternoon outing, we trolled south without luck but bottom-fished in 950 feet of water using an electric reel — a first for us. It felt slightly like cheating, but necessary at that depth. After ten-minute retrieves, we landed a few gold snappers.

Two days later, Bob and Danielle went out again early in the morning.

Danielle fought and landed a wahoo using a handline — old-school style. They also hooked a shark, which was successfully released.

Fishing was a blast — though for me, diving has increasingly replaced the desire to catch what I’d rather swim beside.

🌴 Day Four: Seahorses at White Slave

We joined local guide Jo (@go_with_jo_diving) at White Slave Beach, named for the historic white slave huts nearby that once housed enslaved workers in the island’s salt industry.

The reef slopes gently to 100 feet with white sand and occasional stronger currents.

Orange Sea Horse - White Slave - Bonaire

Black Seahorse - White Slave Beach- Southern tip of Bonaire

Without Jo’s expert eye, we never would have spotted the tiny orange and black seahorses hiding in coral.

We also saw:

Tarpon
Eagle rays
Turtles

Over two dives, Jo expertly led us to tiny orange and black seahorses hiding in the coral. Without her keen eye, we would never have spotted them. The dive site is known for its strong currents, which were pretty tame during our dives. We did enjoy the unique reef formations.

Highly recommended for anyone hoping to see rare marine life; however, we do recommend Jo or another dive guide for this area during your first experience here, as conditions can change quickly.

🌎 Day Five: Reef Clean-Up Dive

Our final dive was a voluntary reef clean-up organized by Chogogo’s dive shop.

About 20 divers split into two groups and collected bags of trash and fishing line from the under the town pier area. It was a rewarding way to give back and end our trip. We enjoyed this dive site for its impressive rock and coral formations, as well as the abundance of fish.

Chogogo Dive and Beach Resort: Our Experience

Rated four stars by us, Chogogo impressed us with its:

Spacious Oceanfront rooms with Scandinavian appliances
Onsite dive center with gear lockers, rinse tanks, and 24/7 tank access
Three dining options: Bari Beach Bar (casual), Sunset Restaurant (main dining), and Biña (fine dining)

Pro Tip: Island service is relaxed. Ask for menus and checks early if you’re in a hurry.

🍽 Dining Highlights

Ingredients at Buddy Dive – Excellent sunset views

Sebastian’s – Beautiful setting, inconsistent service, food was average at best

Joe’s – Excellent meals and service

Patagonia – Great steaks and paella

Blue Garden Brazilian Grill – Casual and fun

Between 2 Buns – Top breakfast/lunch spot

Joe's Restaurant Bonaire - delicious dining

🚗 Getting Around Bonaire

Roads are narrow, and gas stations are limited. Fill up gas during the day — pumps can malfunction at night
Limited grocery stores
Watch one-way roads in the north