Allways Sunday: Diving Bonaire

Bonaire is a small Dutch island about 50 miles north of Venezuela. The cruise ships pull in and out almost daily, bringing in tourist dollars, but scuba diving is what puts Bonaire on our #1 dream destination list.

We were dive certified before we started cruising last year, but didn't have much experience. As fate would have it, our buddy boat friend, Jamie Dryden, is a dive instructor, so diving with him was such an awesome learning experience! We did 20 dives in 30 days, including 2 night dives, which Danielle did not like.

Needless to say, my pictures don't come close to capturing the beauty and colors underwater. After spending lots of time in the water, I realize that even though the ocean is huge, most fish have a home and living radius that's relatively small. Each species of fish have a different personality. Some are shy, while others are very aggressive. It's a fascinating world that's fun to observe. Here are a few of my best photos.

It looks like a snake, it slithers like a snake, but it's a rare Sharptail Eel, accompanied by a Spanish Hogfish.

Turtles are shy, but Danielle followed this guy long enough for a photo.

Danielle hovering among the fish.

The Greater Soapfish. named from the soaplike toxic mucus is secretes, often appears dead, just resting on the sand or against coral heads.

A large colony of Brown Garden Eels wave their heads gracefully, but withdraw to their sand burrows as we approach.

Can you find the very poisonous Scorpionfish camouflaged among the rocks and coral in this photo? Puncture wounds from stepping on him can cause severe pain and illness.