Snorkel Bonaire & Discover a Wondrous Underwater World

[Mark Freeman]

Bonaire is a small island colonized by the Dutch in the southern Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles, a mere 25 miles (80km) north of the Venezuelan coast. Safe from hurricanes, Bonaire has a truly amazing climate, relatively warm and dry for most of the year. Famous for its pink flamingos and fabulous coral reefs, the island is a dream come true for adventurers looking for snorkeling, scuba diving and water sports.

My first experience snorkeling just off-shore from Klein Bonaire absolutely blew my mind! I have snorkeled plenty in the Caribbean, but I'd never experienced anything like this. After a short boat ride over to the south side of the Klein Bonaire, I stepped off the boat and stuck my face in the calm warm water and literally yelled through my snorkel, "Holy s**t!" We were over a reef so full of life I didn’t know where to look first.

Once I settled down, I explored a variety of coral along with colourful tubes and plumes, as well as amazing fish species that I'd never seen before. The sand and coral bottom just disappeared over an underwater cliff, and as I was peering into the abyss, a green turtle swam out of the deep towards us. At the second spot we snorkeled at, near the east end of the island, the current was quite a bit stronger. We just drifted with a large school of fish – very invigorating!

For more information about snorkeling in Bonaire, including the best snorkel locations and boat/tour operators, click here. Enjoy!