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Netherlands Antilles Underwater Photo Sites (7)
Excellent site
| | Facts about Something Special |
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Nice site in the double reef system of Bonaire. Great visibility.
| | Facts about Alice in Wonderland |
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Lovely dive site on the south coast of Curacao. Very easy water entry with a short swim to the drop off point of the first of a triple reef system. Excellent facilities including restaurant, showers, toilets, rinse tanks and equipment hire. For the non divers this is a beautiful beach on which to sunbathe and snorkel, it even has massage facilities for those who like a little pampering.
There is a small entry fee 2$, but it is well worth it, a great day out for the whole family. The only drawback is that it can get quite crowded in the weekends (and costs 3$ for entry), so try to visit during the week!
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One of most known sites in Bonaire because of the good visibility, ease of diving, and great depths at short range.
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Another great site on Curacao, unfortunately you need a boat to reach it. The norht coast of Curacao is where on a good day it is possible to see sharks, large rays and other larger animals, including massive green morays.
| | Facts about Playa Conoa North Shore of Curacao |
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Bonaire is great for the macro subjects.
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This is a great site, which is not often visited by divers, the only draw back is you can only get to it by boat.
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I have been diving over all of the Caribbean and have at last settled on St Eustatius (Statia). I has everything a diver could want and the folks are nice. The population of the island is under 3000, so there is little tourist trade and is passed by the cruise ships. I have been diving since 1964 and this will have to rate as probably the top. I expect to be going here until I get too old to dive.
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This is the house reef for the Sunset Waters Beach Resort. The resort is very nice with excellent service.
The reef is easily accessible from a man-made lagoon and so well marked that it is a cinch to navigate day or night. You needn't stay at the resort to dive here. If you are a shore diver (like me), follow the sign to "Airplane Wreck" (adjacent site) and rent your taks at Sunset Divers (on the premises).
Seahorses and frogfish are common on the reef. Inqure at the dive shop about the latest sightings. They keep informed and will happily direct you to the latest sightings.
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Playa Porto Marie
This is a small private cove and beach with a small entrance fee. The beach
is long and beautiful and you can spend a day diving here.
It’s a short swim to a double reef system that is very similar to a large
oval fish bowl. You can dive around the inside of the coral bowl or on the
outside of the coral reef on the wide-open ocean side of the coral reef.
It’s easy to navigate and on the far side there is a natural opening or
break in the reef about 10 meters that acts like a gateway to the open ocean.
Just follow the reef from the inside of the bowl to the outside then turn around
follow the reef back to where you started. Easy to dive and navigate. Max. depth
for us was 70ft. You could have stayed at 50ft. The water is always calm here
with great marine life. We saw several eels, a few turtles and many fish. Playa
Porto Maria also has fresh water rinse showers, Umbrellas, restaurant, bathroom
and a dive shop right there. A great day of diving, food and sun. A great place
to take divers and non-divers.
Playa Kalkai
This dive site is on the far west of the island and has a dive shop right
there. In fact you are better off renting tanks at West End dive shop and use
their shower and facilities after your dive. The rental tanks at West End are
only $6.00. It’s easy to do two dives here. The reef runs parallel to the
shore and is a short swim from the small beach. Easy parking and stairs down to
the beach and ocean. This site is the last shore dive on the island but well
worth the drive. The visibility was about 90ft. no current and beautiful reef
and lots of fish. eels, and lobsters.
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Rates the top dive site in terms of species richness by the REEF Environmental organization. Present count, 323 species, plentiful in numbers as well as variety. With a drop off beginning in 30 feet (10 meters) of water, a continuous reef that runs parallel to shore, minimal to no currents, this is an ideal dive of all levels of divers. The majority of the fish life, colorful orange elephant ear sponges, purple tube and vase sponges and gorgonians are found between 30 - 60 feet or water. These shallow depths provide divers with plenty of underwater viewing time. Bonaire is ranked as the #1 macro capital in the Caribbean, and no site is better for marco than Bari reef. In the shallow terrace ( 0 to 30 feet) the rubble is home to move than 100 species of fish alone. (also ideal for snorkelers). Yellow headed jawfish, pike blenneys, sail fin blenneys and other beauties abound for those with patient eyes! On the reef slope, enormous schools of creole wrasse, queen and french angel fish, rock beauties, groupers, butterfly fish, and countless others. Frog fish generally there for long periods of time, squid in the shallow without fail!
| Facts about Bari Reef at Sand Dollar, Bonaire It is in Netherlands Antilles- Bari Reef at Sand Dollar, Bonaire is in the Caribbean Sea.
- The typical depth is 0-30 Metres 0-100 Feet.
- The typical visibility is 30+ Metres 100+ Feet.
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