Those who know Bonaire are aware of how important the nature of our island is to us.
The waters surrounding this small paradise in the Caribbean are no exception, proof of it is our National Marine Park, one of the oldest marine reserves in the world.
From the moment you are arriving by plane to Bonaire, the first thing that strikes you is the contrast of the impressive blue tones that surround the island, all of them part of the Bonaire National Marine Park, including those that bathe Klein Bonaire (Little Bonaire), the small island that you can see in front of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire.
The Bonaire Marine Park was created in 1979, and covers 2,600 hectares of beautiful coral reefs full of life, seagrass and one of the best preserved mangrove areas in the Caribbean.
Beyond the ocean that surrounds the island, Bonaire also has Ramsar areas such as Lac Baai, a small nursery for Bonaire reef fish, and a wetland of international importance, especially as a habitat for waterfowl.
From this care for our waters and reefs, derives the fact that Bonaire is the paradise of divers and has won for more than 20 consecutive years the award for the best shore diving in the world.
With around 86 dive sites, most of them accessible by boat or directly from the coast, divers or snorkelers that visit Bonaire, will be able to choose from a wide variety of places to plunge into the water and meet over 57 species of soft and stony coral and more than 350 recorded fish species.
In order to keep the Bonaire National Marine Park in optimal conditions, an annual Nature Fee is required to all those willing to access the sea. The price of this tag varies depending on the activity you want to practice, snorkel, diving etc…
This is the way to help in the work performed by Stinapa, the organization responsible for the management and protection of the two Bonaire National Parks, the National Marine Park and the Washington Slagbaai National Park.
If you are coming to Bonaire, don’t miss the oportunity to take a dive or snorkel, you will be impressed to discover the life lying underneath those lovely Caribbean blues.
