Dive· Bonaire· Other Caribbean
Bachelor's Beach Reef (Dive Site)
12° 7.5′ N · 68° 17.2′ W
A short staircase down to a pocket beach south of town gives one of Bonaire's easiest shore entries onto a reef where tarpon, turtles and eagle rays are regulars - day or night.
Practical
Seven steps to the beach, parking about 15 m away along E.E.G. Boulevard (park on coral gravel only). Sand plateau to about 8 m, coral to 15 m, reef edge 15-20 m, slope to 30 m (bonaire.com). Little current; southerly winds bring waves and low tide makes entry harder. A yellow mooring buoy about 70 m off marks the reef. One of the most accessible night dives on the island. No showers or toilets. Busy boat lane to Klein Bonaire offshore - fly an SMB. Shore dive: no yacht anchoring anywhere in the Marine Park. From a yacht, come by dinghy and tie to the yellow STINAPA public mooring (2 consecutive hours max, boats up to 13 m, moor by the bow; STINAPA), or drive. Nature fee required (US$40 per calendar year per bonaire.com); no gloves, no touching or feeding, reef-safe sunscreen; an orientation dive is mandatory on arrival and an SMB is recommended (STINAPA). Check STINAPA's SCTLD stoplight map before diving and move from green to yellow to red sites, never the reverse. Coordinate: OpenStreetMap dive-site marker (shore entry); the separate 'Bachelor's Beach' entry covers the beach itself.
Best for
Easy shore dive and snorkel, good first night dive