July 24-Aug 6, 2008

Bon bini to Bonaire…and how cool is it that the airport
meet-and-greet includes a welcome from a couple of
good-looking loras. They looked a lot better than we did
after 24-hours of travel, but we were energized to be returning
to our favorite dive location and couldn’t wait to get wet.



After emerging from another eye-popping dive at Invisibles,
we looked at each other and had the same thought,
“Let’s do it again!” We off-gassed, replaced the tanks,
jumped in, and dove it again in the opposite direction.
Invisibles has that effect on people…we’re total junkies!



For two weeks, the entrance to Invisibles was occupied
by a huge ball of silversides, so thick you could barely
track your buddy in the shimmering cloud.



A green moray gave us our best eel moment here.



Watching the eel in all its modes of locomotion is a study
of aqua dynamics. This eel started with a gentle glide
above the reef.



Next, he shifted to a slither across the coral.





The concluding move was a morph into Christmas ribbon candy…
and away he slithered.



Not to be out performed in the undulation department,
this ray provided a vicarious magic carpet ride.



This hawksbill was able to reveal something of his history.
Usually tags are encrusted and a challenge to read (especially
on a flapping fin). From a distance, the tagged looked
free of algae and possibly legible.



Sure enough, when zoomed later on my laptop, the tag
was enlarged to a decipherable size (but is the third digit
a zero or eight or six or???)



And the hawksbill didn’t seem bothered at all by
the identity theft.



The Salt Pier is always ready to put on a great performance.
Maybe our grade school art teacher was right about
the importance of framing art, teaching us that vertical lines
lead the viewer to focus at the highlighted beauty.



We try to count pilings so we can track our location.
But we end up getting distracted, losing track and
becoming totally disoriented and lost…but who cares…



Colors are surreal









Tarpon in large numbers are common here.



A tip from Neptune? As we were returning to shore,
we spotted a 20 NAF note drifting by…as if we needed
any more incentive to dive the Salt Pier.



We completed a total of 40 dives during out two week stay,
from Red Slave to 1,000 Steps. Here are some
captured moments:

Our favorite mollusks are always fun to hang
with in the shallows



A quintet of trunk fish…



We concluded that the trunk fish’s lips are perpetually
locked in the “Oooooooh” and “Aaaaaaaah” position
because, well, our lips would look the same if we saw
what they saw 24/7.



And no dive would be complete without a toothsome
greeting from Mr. Chuckles



Body piercing? Mr. Chuckle’s friend supports
a fishing ban in the Bonaire Marine Park. Has anyone
else noticed a sharp increase in the numbers
of reef animals mangled from broken lines or hooks?



Performances by the pretty ballerinas are always welcome





Acid flashbacks? Too neon to be real, this fish
needs to carry a sign advising: “Warning. Prolonged
staring at me may alter your neural wirings”



If too much beauty is fatal, we’re dead in the water.
The wonders just keep on coming…



















We celebrated dive 600 mid-way through our trip.
We selected a spot just south of Fish Hut that was, well,
calling to us. We parked and geared up. We informed
the Universe that, in recognition of the big Six-0-0,
we wouldn’t mind at all if she provided something
out of the ordinary.

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The dive began with a predator-prey showdown.
We settled in and watched as the jacks employed
all of the usual military strategies: divide and conquer,
sneak attack, shock and awe, etc.



After five minutes, not a single prey ended up on
the wrong side of the jacks’ teeth. Despite a reef
teeming with life, apparently there’s still no such thing
as an easy meal



As our dive reached its conclusion, we wondered
what happened to an anticipated “something
out of the ordinary” experience. As we spotted our landmark
and turned shoreward, a young adult green caught
our attention. As she glided downward diagonally,
an older juvenile rose up from the sand. As they hung
suspended nose-to-nose, we knew we were about to see
something unusual. For a long while, they floated
in that formation





And then they started turning, counter-clockwise,
slowly, around and around.



Round and round they went



They were oblivions to us, so we got closer.







After three minutes or so, they separated and moved
in opposites directions. Then they stopped, as if they
regretted parting, and turned back to each other, and
repeated the circle dance.



This could have been a case of dog-like sniffing
of hindquarters, but it felt like a more primordial
exchange was taking place.


Rocking out on the reptilian carousel of love…and
no one will ever convince us that these two weren’t
humming “Feeling Groovy”…or The Turtles “Happy Together”.



As we left the water and we’re wondering if it
could possibly get any sweeter, an egret alighted
and greeted us as we stepped onto the beach



It was a heady moment. We walked up to
Fish Hut and lingered to absorb our surroundings.
It was one of those Caribbean confluences when
water, land, and sky blend to create the perfect
Bonaire moment, with afterglow aplenty…Yeah!!!






Travel logistics

Redeemed miles on AA. For our lengthy San Juan layover,
we taxied ($15) to Isla Verde. We checked into the
Coral by the Sea ($81) a budget motel. Neighboring
brand-name motels are much nicer and go for twice
the price, but all we needed was a place to shower
and leave our carry-ons while we strolled around.

Accommodations: LBR #13. Best deal on the island.
$1,344 for fourteen nights.



Truck Rental: AB Car rental. $410. Declined CDW
and used AmEx. All worked well with the truck.
It had just the right amount of dents and scratches
so no one would have noticed one more ding.

Dive shop: Photo Tours. 12-day package, $215 p/p
plus $25 for marine park tags.

For those in serious denial, the realization that the trip
is really over doesn’t hit until the American Eagle
banks over Kralendijk. The only thing that makes
this moment manageable is the knowledge that
we’ll be back in May. Ciao, Bonaire

Greg & Lani...WOW..You captured it well!
What a great trip report.
Fish Hut is a favorite site of ours as well.

Excellent report! Thank you very much for taking the time to put it together.

What a fabulous report!! I love your pics and the way your describe everything...
Thanks!!!

What a great trip report and wonderful pictures.
You had amazing encounters!!

Awesome....thanks for sharing!!!!

Wow! Best trip report I have ever seen or experienced on BT. What a wonderful show and narrative you have put together for us to enjoy. Thanks so much. Carole

Just curious...is the opening shot by the airport an actual photo you captured with the cactus, the loras and the flowers?? Just gorgeous!! cb

Now thats what I call a TRIP REPORT ! thanks for sharing , if that does not make you want to get back nothing will .

Thanks for a great trip report! I can see you put a LOT of care into it!

Exceptional format, and beautiful sightings! Your wonderful shots of the green eel swimming help make up for the fact I didn't have a camera with me when I saw the same thing. And I agree with Carole on your shot at the airport - they should frame that in the terminal! Thanks for sharing!

WOW! Your report is world class and your photos are outstanding., Thank you for taking the time to share with us.

Loved your trip report and photos! Thanks so much for sharing.

greg and lani
what kind of camera was used. the colors are fabulous
es

Hi Greg and Lani,

Very nice. Great pictures, great report.

Great photo trip report! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Outstanding!

Thank you.

You took a lot of time and caring in your photos, what is your favorite dive site, i am coming back to bonaire in 20 days for 3weeks, i can not decide which is my favorite, all i know is that i am coming in april 09 also for 3weeks

Beautiful ..........

Great Report -- Much needed distraction today - Thank's

Patrick

I was captivated by the photo of the loras at the airport. thanks so much for the beautiful trip report.

Most Excellent Trip Report! Really enjoyed the pictures, especially the turtles dancing together, we have seen a couple of turtles do the same thing this past year and were glad to see that others too have witnessed it. The pics of the free swimming moray was really cool. Glad you enjoyed staying at our place and are coming back again in May. Thanks again for a wonderful trip report, one of best I have viewed.

Thank you so much for your report. It was a wonderful addition to my cloudy Oregon day. Your words and pics really put me right there on the island with you.

Wow, wow, wow!
You have really captured the "magic" in your trip report, reminding me why we are drawn again and again to the same experiences.
Thank you, thank you!!
This has made my day!!

Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback on our trip report.
In response to questions/comments:
1) Elaine, the camera used is a SeaLife 800. Recently purchased it on eBay.
It took a few dives to dial it in,
but we’re very pleased with the photos.

2) Keith, we favor the southern sites.
Part of that is due to the fact
that we always stay in the Belnem area,
so it’s a short drive. Some of
our best sightings of larger
critters (dolphins, rays,
turtles, eels) have occurred
between Vista Blue and Margate Bay.
In truth, in our opinion there’s
no such thing as a non-spectacular
dive site on Bonaire.

3) Bambi, maybe the airport brass
will read your posting and heed your suggestion. Thanks for the compliment.

4) In response to Carole B.’s posting:
“Just curious...is the opening shot
by the airport an actual photo you captured with the cactus, the loras and the flowers?? Just gorgeous!! Cb”

Yes, the shot of the loras/airport
is an actual photograph.

Here’s the background to that picture:

We had just crossed the street from
Flamingo Airport and were standing
in the parking lot next to the dive
shop. We noticed
the loras on a distant cactus,
and I raised my camera and
starting snapping.
The first photos were unimpressive,
with the metal poles and other
elements in the background.
I remember wishing for a colorful
object on the right to balance
the cactus. As I walked closer
and to the right, my entire
attention was on not scaring
the birds, to the extent that
I was unaware that the
airport tower was swinging
into view…D’oh!
Under full sun, my camera
LCD screen was washed-out
so I had no idea what
I was framing…dumb luck.
I could camp in this parking
lot until the return of
Queen Beatrix and/or Amerigo Vespucci
and I bet I couldn’t capture the same composition deliberately as
the one snapped on a fluke.
Now if I were REALLY lucky,
a landing KLM 747 would appear
in the background!!

Here’s the sequence:

Wonderful story on the photo! Sometimes those are the shots that are the best....pure luck. The end result is fabulous, regardless! Thanks for the additional pics, too. Carole

Thanks for the background on the photo of the loras.

I learned in High School photography class "If its worth one picture, its worth taking the whole roll."

Now that most of us use digital cameras, there is no need to worry about how much developing all those pictures is going to cost.

I love it.

Great Report & pics Greg


but what about image 33? , I'm a member of PRA and curious!!!

So, Roy, you noticed one picture didn’t post. I guess I can raise everyone’s interest by hinting that the mysterious image 33 was an outtake from ‘Girls Gone Wild at Margate Bay” but alas the pic was a very mundane, transitional-type photo of a pick-up parked by the water.

However, since you are a member of the PRA, you can interpret the subtle esoteric implications of this picture, and the real reason the Universe blocked it initially from the posting.

And is it correct that PRA stands for the “Partying Republicans of Alaska”, the secessionist group to which Tina Fey’s husband belongs? : )…or maybe I’ve been reading too many political blogs lately and can’t keep the acronyms straight.

wow...wonderful images...I need to book my next trip fast!