• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

The Complete Guide to Scuba Diving in Bonaire

Last Updated: November 14, 2022 · Bonaire, Caribbean

If you’ve never been diving in Bonaire before, then you’re in for a treat! After all, scuba diving is Bonaire Island’s claim to fame!

With over 85 dive sites—54 being shore dives—Bonaire has consecutively won awards in scuba diving through the Readers’ Choice Awards. In the November 2022 issue of Scuba Diving, Bonaire won 13 awards; six of which took first place.

Bonaire not only reigned first place, for the 30th consecutive year, in the title of Best Shore Diving in the Caribbean/Atlantic region but also took home awards in various categories from Best Beginner (and Advanced) Diving to Best Underwater Photography and Best Health of Marine Environment, among others.

Shore divers entering water at 1000 Steps, Bonaire
Shore divers at 1000 Steps, Bonaire

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

All that said, scuba diving is definitely one of the best things to do in Bonaire, so if you’re planning a trip to the island you should include it in your itinerary.

Even if you are not certified, you can still take a PADI Discovery Dive mini class to experience diving in one of the best, most pristine places to go scuba diving on earth!

Here’s everything you need to know about diving in Bonaire! 🤿

Table of Contents show
Diving Bonaire: The Ultimate Guide
What to Know Before Diving on Bonaire
Bonaire Dive Resorts
Bonaire’s Best Dive Sites + Map
Favorite Shore Dives
Popular Shipwreck Dives
Klein Bonaire Dives
Best Dive Shops on Bonaire
VIP Diving
Dive Friends

Diving Bonaire: The Ultimate Guide

Scuba diver diving with Caribbean fish species at Sebastian's dive site in Bonaire National Marine Park.
Divers scuba diving in Bonaire

What to Know Before Diving on Bonaire

Firstly, Bonaire’s waters are protected under the Bonaire Marine National Park, established in 1979, through STINAPA. Every person who wishes to dive on Bonaire must pay a $45 Nature Fee.

You can pay online here in advance or when you arrive on the island. And don’t forget Bonaire also instated a $75 Visitor’s Tax ($10 for children 12 and under).

Secondly, sustainable diving practices are at the heart of all dive shops and operations on Bonaire. That said, dive gloves are not allowed on Bonaire. Dive boots, however, are allowed and are a recommended piece of dive equipment as many of Bonaire’s dive spots are shore dives.

Thirdly, harmful sunscreen has been banned on Bonaire. Buy and wear reef-safe sunscreen only.

You can find mineral sunscreens that are 100% safe for reefs in the dive shops on Bonaire. I used Raw Elements for every activity on the island including diving and snorkeling and highly recommend it!

More quick info to take note of:

☀️ Best time to dive on Bonaire: Year-round!

🌊 Water temperature: 26–29°C (79–84°F)

📸 Take an action camera: I used the GoPro 11

🇧🇶 Local language & currency: Papiamentu, USD

Rainbow parrotfish in coral reef, Bonaire.

Bonaire Dive Resorts

Many of Bonaire’s hotels and resorts will have either their own on-site diving facility or a dive shop partner where you can easily grab gear and schedule a boat or shore dive excursion.

However, if you’re intention in coming to Bonaire was laser-focused on scuba diving, then you might consider staying at an all-inclusive dive resort. These resorts will cater to your dive needs whether you are a novice or an advanced diver.

🌴 During our week on Bonaire, we stayed at the lovely Delfins Beach Resort which has its own PADI 5-Star IDC Dive Center. We absolutely loved our stay and I would highly recommend it if you are looking for an eco-conscious resort that offers not only diving facilities/excursions but also a sultry Caribbean vibe, fine dining, a tropical beach bar, a house dive/snorkeling, a private beach, pool bar, and more.

Woman in red bikini lounging in pool cabaña at the Delfins Beach Resort on Bonaire Island.
Tropical beach club and bar with colorful lanterns and tables on the sand.
Delfins Beach Resort was perfect for relaxing after a day of diving!

You don’t have to stay at a dive resort while on Bonaire, since diving is so accessible to vacationers. But a dive resort will cater to divers in particular, so if that’s your main muse, here are a few notable dive resorts on the island:

🏴‍☠️ Captain Don’s Habitat Dive Resort (Top Pick) — The dive resort that started it all! This resort is one of the best sustainable dive resorts in Bonaire. Its founder, Captain Don, was the pioneer who helped establish the Bonaire Marine National Park in 1979. Sustainability and a 24/7 “Freedom Diving” philosophy are the cornerstones of this ocean-front dive resort.

🤿 Buddy Dive Resort — A popular and fully-equipped dive resort with 2-lane air & Nitrox Drive-Thru, 6 Dive Boats, Tec Dive Support Center, Rental Gear, a Retail Shop, 2 Classrooms, and the Buddy Dive Academy.

🦩 Divi Flamingo Dive Resort — A large, sprawling resort with a Casino, Dive Center, 6 Dive Boats, Fitness Center, and Diving or Golf Packages.

Bonaire’s Best Dive Sites + Map

So what can you expect from the dive sites in Bonaire?

Not only will you find some of the world’s healthiest reefs in Bonaire’s waters, but you also find a score of marine life and shipwrecks. You can also go freediving, technical diving, or go diving with your kids aged 10 or older.

Snorkelers and shore divers at Salt Pier dive site on Bonaire Island.
Snorkelers at Salt Pier dive site

Scuba Diving in Bonaire — Fact Sheet

🐟 There are over 350 fish species and 57 coral species

💛 Painted yellow rocks indicate a dive site on Bonaire

🪸 54 of Bonaire’s 85+ dive spots are accessible by shore

While diving on Bonaire, you can expect to see colorful, tropical Caribbean fish. You might see parrotfish, tarpons, trumpetfish, hogfish, frogfish, wrasse, rays, sea turtles, seahorses, spotted trunkfish, butterflyfish, and more! I can’t name all 350+ species here, but just know that there’s A LOT!

Below I list some of the island’s top dive sites. Most of the dive sites are located on the calmer, western side of the island with the exception of a few east coast dives.

Map of Bonaire Island's dive sites.
Click here to open this map of the dive sites in Bonaire. Credit: Infolific

Favorite Shore Dives

  • Bari Reef (one of the top sites in the Caribbean with over 300+ fish surveyed).
  • Tori’s Reef
  • 1000 Steps
  • The Salt Pier
  • White Slave
  • Red Slave
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Something Special
  • ChaChaCha
  • Ol’ Blue
  • Andrea 1 & 2
  • Karpata
  • White Hole (East Coast Diving)
  • Windsock

Not to mention the dive sites inside Washington Slagbaai National Park, including Playa Funchi and Wayaka 1, 2, & 3.

Popular Shipwreck Dives

  • Hilma Hooker
  • Spelonk Wrecks
  • Windjammer
  • Divi Wreck
  • Habitat Wrecks

Klein Bonaire Dives

  • Joanne’s Sunchi (where we dove off Klein Bonaire)
  • Munk’s Haven
  • Monte’s Divi Tree
  • No Name
  • Forest
  • Captain Don’s Reef
  • Sharon’s Specialty
  • Ebo’s Reef
  • Bonaventure
  • Hands Off
  • Keepsake
  • Rockpile
  • Carl’s Hill
  • Yellow Man

For more details on each, check the island’s interactive map or the PADI website.

Tropical Caribbean fish around coral restoration tree on a shore dive on Bonaire Island.
Sebastian’s dive site
Diver points red light at Lionfish hiding in coral in Bonaire
Joanne’s Sunchi dive site

Best Dive Shops on Bonaire

All the dive centers and operators on the island are great, but there are a few that stand out from the rest thanks to their commitment to safety, sustainability, and fun!

VIP Diving

As a 5-star PADI IDC, PADI Green Star Award-winner, and 100% AWARE Partner, VIP Diving is arguably one of the best dive shops in Bonaire. Not only do they offer all types of guided dives and courses, but they operate with sustainability in mind.

From solar panels and recycled water to reusable water bottles and supporting local conservation initiatives, they truly put sustainability at the forefront of their business. They also participate in reef renewal, safe sunscreen awareness, invasive lionfish removal, and more.

Our small group of four went diving with VIP Diving at their house shore dive, Sebastian’s (located just opposite the shop). We saw a seahorse, tarpons, barracuda, frogfish, plus lots of other tropical fish! Even though my partner Paul wasn’t certified, he was able to complete a basic PADI Discovery Dive training in the pool beforehand and join us on this awesome dive.

Dive Friends

Another awesome dive operator in Bonaire is Dive Friends. These guys have a total of eight dive centers and four retail shops across the island, including inside the Delfins Beach Resort as mentioned earlier.

Dive Friends is also a top-rated dive shop, also earning a PADI Green Star Award thanks to their conservation and sustainability practices. For example, every quarter, they organize ocean clean-ups.

If you’re looking for dive courses, equipment, or photography gear rentals, Dive Friends will have just what you’re looking for.

We dove with Dive Friends at the Port Bonaire location across from the airport and had such a fun and relaxed time on a boat dive off the shores of Klein Bonaire!

On a final note, both VIP Diving and Dive Friends have earned three stars through Bonaire Island’s Blue Destination Certification Program, which evaluates partners based on criteria such as sustainability and social welfare, among ten other criteria.

🌿 Learn more about ecotourism on Bonaire

So, are you feeling ready to go scuba diving in Bonaire? If you’ve already been, I’d love to hear what dive site you explored and what your experience was like!

As always, feel free to reach me by email or on Instagram @bucketlistbri if you have any questions.

PIN THIS BONAIRE DIVING GUIDE FOR LATER

By: Bri · In: Bonaire, Caribbean

you’ll also love

Caribbean sea and Gosier islet with lighthouse on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles25 Amazing Things to Do in Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean
Woman paddleboarding in the Caribbean on Bonaire Island.20+ Amazing Things to Do in Bonaire in the Caribbean Netherlands
Girl in yellow bikini on an untouched beach in Bonaire.The Ultimate Eco Guide to Bonaire Island in the Dutch Caribbean

Join the List

Stay up to date with the latest adventures and travel guides.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joey says

    April 15, 2023 at 8:45 pm

    Do you need a PADI cert to do the boat dive with Dive Friends?

    Reply
    • Bri says

      April 20, 2023 at 2:35 am

      Yes, I believe you do!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

The 10 Very Best Beaches on Bonaire Island

Primary Sidebar

hello!

I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

About Me

Connect

join the list

Featured Posts

palm trees and palapas on akumal bay from tulum

How to Get From Tulum to Akumal Beach

Aldea Bamboo Eco Cabana & Glamping Retreat in San Pancho, Mexico | Bucketlist Bri

A Look Inside Aldea Bamboo – An Eco Glamping Retreat in San Pancho

Woman wearing orange activewear cycling the San Juan Islands in Washington USA

Ultimate Guide to Biking the San Juan Islands (Washington)

QUICK LINKS

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS

Search

Let’s Connect!

@bucketlistbri

Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confi Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confidence & sense of self (at the risk of sounding cliché), of “my essence” and inner Knowing, and where my compassion and passions mingle and thrive. I was reading some of your comments on my recent Reel about solo travel and how I put myself at great risk/in danger. But as I was telling my Tibetan friend, Sonam, tonight (yes, the new one I made last week!), I inform my decisions mostly by 1. Asking myself, “Would this make a good story?” and 2. Listening to my body and emotions. Yes, it’s risky to travel solo, to be a female in a male-dominated culture, to go out after hours with people you just met, etc. But doing that — and all the magic that followed by “allowing” — reminded me exactly of who I am at my core: Curious and open to the world, willing to get uncomfortable for the sake of finding magic and serendipity. Some of you said, “I’m too scared to do this, how do you overcome that fear of personal safety?” And to this I say, I don’t! Fear accompanies me along the journey. Living life is one big risk. It’s uncomfortable to be open, vulnerable, and unsure. But once you accept that and once you begin to let compassion and curiosity guide you rather than your fear, the real magic starts to happen in all areas of life, not just travel. I find these moments most in travel though, when I’m confronted with contrast and am left vulnerable to the world and the kindness of my fellow humans. My Reels are not meant to romanticize or gloss over very real risks/threats in life, but rather to share a real account of what’s possible (adventure, connections, love, etc) when you worry less about societal norms and what’s “safe not safe” “right not right” and allow your over-active fears to take a backseat. 
This is your reminder to trust your inner compass to guide you in writing your epic life story. ✨✨

To sum it up: 

1. Choose a life of adventure 
2. Stay curious
3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable (otherwise said, seek discomfort)
4. Let love and light flow in and out 
5. Change is the only constant 

#solotravel #nepaltravel #solofemaletraveler #soloadventure #localtravel #trekkingnepal #adventurethatislife
The strength of women 💛 These ladies were lau The strength of women 💛 

These ladies were laughing so sweetly while filling up their water jugs at the Manga Hiti fountain in Patan. I watched them for a while and then plucked up the courage to ask if I could take their photos, which only made them giggle more. 

I've always felt that not being able to communicate in the same language makes for even more interesting encounters. Without words, we have to touch each other's humanity with eyes and gestures, and most of the time it leads to unspoken mutual understanding, acceptance, and love. We three walked away with the biggest smiles on our faces. I yelled out "Dhayabad!" (Thank you!) as they hoisted their jugs up the stairs, laughing all the way. I won't forget this shared moment between us 🙏 

Check stories for the landscape orientation for some of these photos ✨ 

#nepal #nepalnow #nepalphotography #nepaliculture #nepalisbeautiful #natgeoyourshot #patan #kathmanduvalley #lifetimeexperiences #photonepal #nepaltravel
Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swi Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swirling spirituality, its raw humanity? ✨🇳🇵❤️

#nepal #visitnepal #nepalnow #travelstories #localtravel #mindfultravel #slowtravel #natgeotravel
When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay open to the randomness of life and the kindness of strangers, really wonderful memories can be made. Thank you Lama family and my new Tibetan friends for such a fun and insightful sequence of experiences 🙏 💛

#solotravel #localtravel #nepaltravel #nepaldiaries #nepali #solofemaletravel #kathmandunepal #thamel #tibetanfood #solotraveldiaries
My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 

Being back after 7 long years away has jolted my body, brain, and spirit. At first, I felt overwhelmed with the recurring thought of, "I don't know what to do with myself." It was only when acceptance knocked on my door, and I finally decided to let it in, that things began to shift and flow.
 
In Nepal, particularly Kathmandu, everything around me swarms like a hive. I have nowhere else to go but inside myself. I've discovered through years of slow traveling (and solo travel) that peace awaits me there -- a sense of independence, power, and knowing that is still, comforting, and safe. And I can tap into it whenever I need to.

Chaos and peace reside in all of us, and Nepal has a cosmic, ancient way of reminding you of just that. 

📍 Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur

#nepaltravel #patan #durbarsquare #nepalphotography #slowtravel #nepal #solotravel #lalitpur
They ask, “Why?” I was 29 when I embarked on They ask, “Why?” 

I was 29 when I embarked on the plane on the 21st, and 30 when I disembarked on the 23rd. How fitting. I spent all of my 20s abroad (except for my two final semesters in undergrad), and moved to Nepal when I was 21. 

What better way to say goodbye to my twenties than by returning to the start? I felt the desperate urge to start my 30s this way—alone on a one-way ticket with no concrete plans. I have both feared and longed to come back all these years. You see, I had made a promise to one of my closest Nepali friends that I’d see her again, but the reality is that I no longer can. 

She, along with another dear friend, passed away from cancer a couple of years back. The thought of returning to my old life here without my friends made me, well, incredibly sad. I had thought that, upon landing in Kathmandu—or taking a bite of my first momo—after so long, I’d find myself bursting into tears of both grief and gratitude. But I didn’t. Instead, I found familiarity in the chaos and chaos in the strangeness. 

Just being here—and the decisions and actions it took to get here—has reminded me of the preciousness of this one very short life. And that, by choosing to celebrate mine—at the exciting turn of a decade no less—by coming back to Nepal on a solo trip that would force me into daring discomfort when I could instead retreat to the comforts of family or my partner, is how I want to live it.

Truth is, a couple of months ago the thought of Nepal felt out of reach. It felt risky, unattainable. But the idea itself pushed open, just a crack at first, a door that had been otherwise closed. I could have more easily ignored my “what if?” daydreams—calling them off as too hard, too uncomfortable, or too far-fetched to actually pursue—and kept it shut.
But sometime in mid-July, I decided to look at flights. And I found one (truly, just one) option that could work. And it just so happened that it would fall on my birthday, or rather bridge my birthday. The idea of getting on a plane at 29 and getting off it at 30—back in Nepal—sold me. I fell in love with the story, the adventure, the unknowingness of it all. 

So, yeah. That’s why. Or as I prefer, “Why not?”
Follow My Adventures

Footer

On the Blog

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

Info

  • Work With Me
  • My Blog Course
  • Slomad Stories Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

adventures await x

Copyright © 2023 · Bucketlist Bri | All Rights Reserved

7 shares