Bonaire . . . far from the maddening crowd!

Published in the Calgary Herald on March 16, 2002 and by the Montreal Gazette.
Photos and article by Dave Lowery
Discover Bonaire, a sleepy Caribbean gem where watersports rule the day.

There’s no place called Kokomo, but 94 km east of Aruba, mentioned in the popular Beach Boys song, is Bonaire where you can “get there fast and take it slow.” And though it’s at least eight hours flying time away, for those looking for a low tourist population and semitropical location perfect for water sports, Bonaire is the answer.

Bonaire is located in the southern Caribbean approximately 80 km east of Venezuela, South America in the three-island Dutch Antilles chain. It ranges from five to eight km in width and is approximately 40 km long. Originally settled by Venezuela Indians known as the Caiquetios over 1000 years ago, Bonaire was claimed by the Spanish in 1499 who enslaved the inhabitants and left the island virtually uninhabited until some were returned to raise animals for hides. The Dutch, who still oversee the area, took possession of the ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) islands in 1633 and developed the salt industry using slave labour. Huts still remain from those grim times and the salt industry has since been revitalized under a Cargill Inc. division.

Also remaining from those times centuries ago are iguanas, goats and, from the middle of the 1800’s, donkeys that now roam free on Bonaire. And though very docile and friendly, the donkeys, which number around 250 according to donkey preservationist and sanctuary founder, Marina Melis, 52, are not welcome by the native population. Unfortunately, the donkey’s friendliness and free roaming demeanor has led to a gradual decline due to road kill, starvation and abuse.

“They drive very fast on the island,” Melis says. “Tourists make me aware of it so I put up signs but at least one donkey per week is killed.” The week prior to my visit, cars had killed three donkeys and

Melis works full time tending and nursing the 53 donkey tenants at her sanctuary. “It’s a lot of work; a lot of food and vet bills,” she says. “I have to buy milk from Holland as the baby donkeys are raised with milk from foal-less horse mothers.” Melis raises enough funds to accept about 12 donkeys per year at her acreage beside the international airport provided by the Bonairean government but is constantly looking for more funds. For US$175 per year, a donkey can be sponsored and many have contributed. Nina

Abbad and her daughter, Laura, originally from Holland but now living in Curacao, recently adopted Eeyore. “We wanted to do something for Bonaire,” Nina says, “and we thought if we try to keep him alive for a year it would be a good idea.”

Also prevalent on the island, thousands of lizards scurry around the sparse vegetation and across narrow roads with their distant harmless cousins, iguanas, a lot bigger, not quite as fast and, again, not native to Bonaire.

The license plates proclaim, “divers paradise,” and with over 80 marked sites easily accessible from shore or a short boat ride to Klein Bonaire, a small uninhabited island a few hundred metres off the west coast, Bonaire offers scuba divers incredible visibility, from 30-50m, and water temperatures that hover around 27 degrees Celsius year round. Visibility declines rapidly approaching the southern tip of the island due to fast silt-carrying currents and virtually all marked and recommended sites are on the protected west side. Since all waters surrounding the island are a designated marine park, an orientation dive is necessary with a divemaster from any of the dive operators and a tag needs to be purchased for US$10 (supports park management services) and carried with you at all times while diving. With the orientation completed, sites await you with intriguing names such as La Dania’s Leap, 1000 Steps (actually less than 100 though it feels like many more wearing all your gear), Oil Slick Leap or Hilma Hooker, site of a 150 foot sunken ship that first meets you at 40 ft with the lower portion at 85 feet. Huge carpon fish have claimed the wreck site as their own but they swim slowly away if approached too closely. About 12 dive shops cater to the tourists who come to Bonaire mainly due to its underwater reputation. Marine wildlife is plentiful and includes frog fish, parrot fish, angel fish, octopus, carpon, moray eels, puffer fish, bat rays, sea turtles, rockfish (don’t touch, they’re poisonous and for that matter, touching any of the sea life is prohibited in the marine park) and dolphins if you’re lucky enough to spot them. But be careful. Danger exists not from the marine life but from thieves who patrol the dive sites and regularly break into vehicles. The answer, according to the locals, is to leave nothing of value in your unlocked vehicle or the windows will be broken and possessions stolen.

Two-tank dives everyday becomes routine but pay attention to your dive tables or dive computer. It’s easy to be lured deeper than necessary when following a bat ray or multi-coloured parrotfish. Should you experience decompression sickness, there is a recompression chamber on the island but planning and careful monitoring of your dive tables is a better path to follow. And don’t pull the stunt I tried. After two dives per day for over a week, I calmly descended breathing through my snorkel . . . to a depth of one meter where my coughing and gagging abruptly forced me back to the surface rather quickly. As clear as it is, I don’t recommend trying to breath the saltwater.

The island is also popular with windsurfers in shallow Lac Bay close to Soroban beach and a nearby resort. Even the air temperature varies only between 27 and 32 with 70-90 percent humidity so peeling off that soggy coral-protecting wetsuit isn’t a bone-chilling proposition.
If you get tired of the fabulous dive sites, snorkeling or windsurfing, take a drive north through Washington Slagbaai National Park that is open from 8 am - 5 pm every day except public holidays. Entrance fees are $10 for adults and $2 for children under 15. Two routes are clearly marked in this rather desolate but beautiful example of desert vegetation and numerous lizards, iguanas, goats and donkeys inhabit the area.

The yellow route is 34 km and green route is 24km. No entry is allowed after 3 p.m. and all visitors must register at the gate. The park rangers check off each entry and exit to ensure all visitors are accounted for and will send out help if you do not check back in prior to closing time, which has happened due to vehicle breakdowns while navigating the unpaved rugged roads. If it’s raining hard, don’t even attempt the drive.

Papiamentu (local language), Dutch, English and Spanish are spoken among the 11,000 fulltime residents while most have a working knowledge of English. American dollars are accepted but at varying exchange rates. Change is always given in the official Netherlands Antillean Florins (NAFl, also known as "guilders") and there are automated teller machines on the island dispensing guilders.

How to get there: Several airlines offer flights from southern American cities with connections to Bonaire. Flights typically leave Houston, Dallas or Miami with connections through Costa Rica, Aruba or Caracas, Venezuela. Despite Canada Customs website information to the contrary, be aware that traveling through Venezuela you will be subjected to a US$54 per person airport tax, in cash por favor, each way. Contact your travel agent, Continental or American airlines for the best prices and connections.

For further information, check out the following websites: http://www.infobonaire.com/, http://www.bonairewebcams.com/ (and wave to your folks back home from the underwater webcam, beachcams or streetcam.)

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