News
Buddy Dive celebrates 40 years!
Next year – on August 19, 2020 to be precise – Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire will celebrate that it’s been 40 years since they opened their doors for the first time. This will be celebrated with various festivities and specials throughout the year.
The resort opened on August 19, 1980 and it’s a sure thing that a lot has happened and changed since then. Martien & Ingrid van der Valk purchased Buddy Dive Resort & Watersports back in 2002, when the resort only had 46 apartments, a small dive operation with three boats and 20 rental cars. In October 2004 Buddy Dive Resort acquired Lions Dive Hotel Bonaire and therewith increased the rooms inventory with 32 units.
Today the resort offers 73 apartments, more than 100 rental cars and two restaurants. The dive operation has grown and is now a PADI 5-star Career Development Center with six dive boats, a large range of diving options, courses, kids programs and the largest technical diving facility of the Caribbean.
In 2012 they founded a foundation to protect and restore the coral reefs in Bonaire. Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire has become a well-established foundation with multiple participating dive shops on the island and has currently planted over 22,000 corals back to our reefs.
Martien van der Valk, head of the Buddy Dive Family, comments: “My wife and I look back on many memorable years. Now is the time that we proudly handover the management to the next generation, who will follow in our footsteps and will pursue our mission of Buddy Dive Resort being the go-to resort and dive operation for your dive vacation and dive education.
We are also very proud of the number of guests that joined our Buddy Dive Family over the years and became a fantastic group of repeat guests, some of whom have been returning annually for 25 years already! The group is still growing each year.”
Buddy Dive Resort would like to celebrate its anniversary with their guests and is offering the following specials:
Turning 40 on August 19, 2020?
Come celebrate this together with us on Bonaire! Get your accommodation & diving for free at Buddy Dive Resort.
- Booking period: any time
- Travel period: August 15 – 21, 2020
- Subject to availability
- Not valid in combination with any other specials
- Free accommodation & diving for the birthday boy/girl only – proof of birthday needs to be supplied by sending a copy of the passport
Is August 19 your birthday?
Get 10% discount on the Drive & Dive package for your entire group, plus a free BBQ for yourself!
- Booking period: any time
- Travel period: August 1 – 28, 2020
- Subject to availability
- Not valid in combination with other specials or promotions
- Free BBQ only applies to the birthday boy/girl
- 10% discount only on Drive & Dive packages
- Proof of birthday needs to be supplied by sending a copy of the passport
Celebrating your 40th birthday in 2020?
Get 5% discount on the Drive & Dive package for your entire group, plus a free BBQ for yourself!
- Booking period: any time
- Travel period: August 1 – 28, 2020
- Subject to availability
- Not valid in combination with other specials or promotions
- Free BBQ only applies to the birthday boy/girl
- 5% Discount only on Drive & Dive packages
- Proof of birthday needs to be supplied by sending a copy of the passport
Find out more about Buddy Dive Resort and diving in Bonaire at www.buddydive.com.
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs
Book Review: Shells of the World
Shells of the World: A Natural History by M.G. Harasewych
Shells of the world is a guide to the world of marine, shelled molluscs. And what a varied and interesting world it is. Some of my favourite things to find on a dive are detailed in this book, including disco clams (or Electric File Clams as they are correctly names), the cephalopods, giant clams and sea hares. There are also many on my wish list, top of which is the Nautilus.
Each chapter provides a detailed description of the species, along with beautiful images. You can dive deeper and discover where they live, both with global distribution and the habitat they prefer. Learn about their diet, reproduction and diversity.
Having dipped in and out of this lovely book over the past few weeks, it has inspired me to learn more about this group of animals that we see on most divers, wherever we are in the world. Some of the shells are incredibly intricate and beautiful. I have always agreed with never collecting, or touching, marine life. The description of a certain set of cone shells should be a warning to those that are happy to pick up marine life! One of the cone shells has a local name called the cigarette snail. Why? Because once the venom is in your system from this animal, you only have time to smoke one cigarette before the affects of the venom are fatal!
What the publisher says:
Mollusks are invertebrate animals with a remarkable natural history and a rich fossil record, and their shells are prized for their breathtaking variety and exquisite beauty. Shells of the World provides a wide-ranging look at the incredible diversity of marine mollusks. An informative introduction outlines the lineages covered, followed by a directory section, split into classes, that profiles a broad selection of different taxa to give a sense of their sheer numbers and variety.
- Features hundreds of beautiful color photos, depicting both the live animals and their shells
- Discusses mollusk evolution, anatomy, life cycles, behavior, and ecology
- Describes unique characteristics, distribution, habitat, and size
- Provides valuable insights into the conservation of the world’s marine mollusks
- Ideal for malacologists and shell collectors everywhere
About the Author:
M. G. Harasewych is research zoologist emeritus and former curator in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he is the author (with Fabio Moretzsohn) of The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells.
Book Details
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Hardcover
Price: £25
ISBN: 9780691248271
Published: 9th April, 2024
Gear News
Go anywhere with Stahlsac
Stahlsac dive bags and travel luggage are built for our community of divers, surfers, kayakers and outdoor explorers who need bags that are constructed with durability, toughness, and the highest quality the industry has ever seen. We were founded by one man determined to build better watersports and dive bags, and today, that mission is carried on by many. Adventure doesn’t just present itself; it requires discovery. When we design dive bags, we make sure they are tough enough for you to explore in all conditions—warm and cold, wet and dry—to the nearest and farthest reaches of the earth. And for those times you want to push the boundaries of adventure, Stahlsac dive bags make sure you can truly GO ANYWHERE.
Abyss Duffels
Made to be your partner-in-crime on every adventure, Stahlsac’s Abyss Duffels protects your gear from Mother Nature’s worst. Tough and 100% waterproof with double-TPU nylon material that shrugs off daily wear-and-tear, and RF-welded seams further boost the bag’s potential for lifelong exploring. Get Wet. Get Lost. Go Anywhere with Abyss.
- A weatherproof duffel for trips, travel, and adventure
- Ultra-durable double-TPU nylon protects your gear
- Material repels water and keeps your equipment dry
- RF-welded seams are flush, tough, and waterproof
- Removable straps transform duffel into backpack
- Zippered internal stow compartments carry essentials
- External zippered flap is easy to open and close
- Welded external handles make transporting a breeze
Panama Mesh Backpack
The most copied design in scuba diving, the Stahlsac Panama Mesh Backpack is the “original” design and features two high-density foam padded shoulder straps, extra durable polyester mesh, duffel bag handles and our unique zippered dry pocket inside that combines with a wet pocket outside. The bottom’s built from reinforced 18-gauge PVC nylon to combat the wear and tear of your active coastal lifestyle, and, as a bonus in every bag, we supply a 12″ x 12″ mesh drawstring satchel for extra stowing utility. Pack up your beach kit and go.
- Density foam padded shoulder straps
- Outside wet/dry pockets
- 2 Carry handles
- Tough, snag-resistant polyester mesh
- Reinforced PVC bottom
For more information about Stahlsac bags, visit www.stahlsac.com/dive-bags.
Sea & Sea is the home of Stahlsac and other leading diving brands in the UK.
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