Blogs
Bonaire Revisited

The Scuba Place team hosted a group of 16 divers for a return visit to Bonaire in August 2023. They first visited Bonaire in 2021 during a break from the COVID lockdown. They had a great time then (read the first trip report here) and wanted to experience the Shore Diving Capital of the World once again.
Our group met for an early morning flight from London Heathrow to Amsterdam with KLM. It was a short 90-minute flight and a two-hour layover in Amsterdam gave us enough time to do a little shopping for those few items we forgot to pack and a stop at duty-free. The second leg of the flight was 10 hours with a short stop in Aruba before continuing on to Bonaire. We arrived just after 7:00pm and were efficiently and quickly transported to the resort by the Buddy Dive team.
We chose to stay at Buddy Dive again after a great experience last time. We split our group into two three-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom. The resort is just the right size… every apartment is close to everything… reception, the restaurants, the drive-thru tank station and the dive centre. We got our keys, checked out the digs and then met at Blennie’s for a bite to eat before calling it a night.
In the morning, we headed down to the breakfast buffet at Ingredients. Every morning we had our choice of sweet and savoury breads and pastries, meat and cheeses, cereal, yoghurt, fresh fruit, eggs, pancakes, sausages and bacon and made-to-order omelettes. The doughnuts were a personal favourite!
We stopped into the dive centre to grab our tank cards and locker keys. An orientation and tour by the dive staff for our group had been prearranged and we were shown how to check the pressure and analyse the NITROX tanks. The drive-thru tank station has tanks at the ready, rinse tanks and lockers for dive kit.
The team at Buddy’s shared with us that Bonaire’s reefs are experiencing coral disease and the national parks foundation STINAPA is working hard to educate and conserve. While the disease hasn’t been officially identified, it is affecting six out of the eight coral species vulnerable to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. Protocols had been put in place in an attempt to help stop the spread including a Red Amber Green system for dive sites and decontamination tanks for dive gear. Divers were asked to rinse gear in specified decontamination rinse tanks before entering the water. When we planned our shore dives, we were careful to make sure we went from Green to Amber or Red and not the other way around and rinsed our gear again at the end of the day. Buddy’s had special rinse tanks at both the drive-thru and down by the dive centre. If you’re interested in more information, check out the interactive map of Bonaire dive sites here.
We learned a lot when visited Bonaire in 2021 so we were prepared with our shopping lists and made quick work of our favourite grocery store Van den Tweel. We grabbed all the bits for our surface interval lunches along with drinks and snacks. Soft sided cool bags worked perfectly for lunches.
When it came to the diving, we relied on our past experience and our dog-eared guidebook and enjoyed sites from north to south and everywhere in between! We saw all the favourite suspects – turtles, frogfish, seahorses, trumpet fish and puffers, filefish, and trunk fish. Salt Pier – a top site – delivered a school of more than 30 Caribbean reef squid! We spent ages with them – such a special experience.
Shore diving allowed us to visit the sites we wanted, when we wanted, for as long as we wanted. Some sites were more challenging than others when it came to entry and exit with the rocky shore and surge, but we had some tricks to help… collapsing walking sticks were a great help for John who was just 8 weeks post hip surgery. After entering the water, the sticks collapsed and were tucked under bungees wrapped around the tank. Putting gear on once in the water helped more than one of us too!
We timed our trip to make sure it included a full moon. Why might you ask? If you haven’t read our last Bonaire trip report you can here. But let’s just say, our ostracod dive was out of this world! We chose to dive Aquarius, a southern site with loads of soft coral, and it delivered! Twenty minutes surrounded by thousands of magical twinkling lights that evoke memories of Tinkerbell waving her wand at the beginning of childhood Disney films – just mesmerising!!! We had of course waxed lyrical about this experience to our group of divers, most of whom hadn’t seen this before, and to see their faces at the end of the dive was our reward – smiles everywhere!
All of the great underwater experiences we had on our previous trip were repeated, and we stretched our legs and took in some more dive sites. Bonaire really does deliver some excellent diving, and the new sites we tested out kept the bar high.
Above water, food and drink are the key things to take into account, and we revisited some old favourites and checked out some new eateries too. Given the apartments at Blennies are set up for self-catering, getting a takeaway is a great way to control the spending!
Blennies – the onsite bar and restaurant at Buddy’s is still great for a post-dive beer, light (and heavy!) lunches, and a good evening dining menu too. There are also numerous themed nights; Taco Tuesday, Steak and Pizza Nights and All-You-Can-Eat BBQ, so you really don’t have to venture out of the resort if you don’t want to. Additionally, a more upscale offering is Ingredients, a lovely a la carte eatery sitting overlooking the bay. The food here is delicious, and the wine list is excellent.
Out of the resort, we hit our favourite El Bigote a couple of times – the authentic Mexican fare and jugs full of cocktails are too good to miss! The staff are excellent, and this really is a super-friendly casual eatery that caters for groups brilliantly.
Turning left out of Buddy’s, and less than a mile up the road, we visited the highly recommended Dragon City Restaurant and Bar. Food here was delicious, huge portions, and great value – and takeaway is available too. According to the dive staff, this is the best Chinese food on the island, and we have to agree.
Finally, another newcomer to us – a former food truck about to open a new permanent location, the Fat Dog Tacqueria and BBQ. If you like authentic Texas BBQ, slow roast everything and pulled beef and pork, this is a place you cannot miss. A huge platter, including burnt ends, pulled pork, spicy sausages, brisket and much much more, plus coleslaw and a potato salad fed four of us for two meals for just $50……delicious food and excellent value!
On our off-gassing day, we decided to get busy and play with toys – speedboat toys! Splitting into two groups, we hired two virtually brand new 16’ centre console sports boats with 70 HP engines and an inner tube of course – and off we went! We packed up cooler bags with picnic lunches and drinks, and spent four hours zipping around the bay, towing those brave enough to jump onto the tube at speed! This was great fun and a very different way to spend a non-diving day. $70 plus fuel was the cost per person, and this was well worth the spend!
In summary, Bonaire delivered the goods again – this is an excellent destination for dive clubs and group travel. Our hosted trip group was made up of people travelling from London, Cardiff and Manchester – all via Amsterdam, and there are plenty of other regional offerings too, making it easy for anyone in the UK to get to.
Bonaire has a host of hotels and apartment offerings, and numerous dive centres too. We dived with Buddy’s two years ago and they were excellent then. This year, they were even better! Having everything under one roof and on-site is the real benefit to visitors – accommodation and dining, plus vehicle rental, tank filling stations and of course a very easy access house reef all add up to a very streamlined operation, and this makes great sense for those travelling the distance to get there.
And we can’t leave out the value for money – it is just too good not to mention. A week, including flights, costs from as little as £1799, including truck rental, unlimited nitrox, and breakfast. Two weeks starts at £2999pp. In terms of cost per dive, one of our gang did 52 dives in 14 days…..that’s just £60 per dive. Realistically though, 24 dives in a week equates to £75 per dive. For direct comparison, a Red Sea liveaboard with 22 dives comes in at around £90 per dive, and a Maldivian liveaboard with 17 dives equates to close to £165 per dive. Bonaire might not be the Red Sea, or the Maldives, but it really does deliver the goods.
If you or your dive club is looking for a new destination, don’t overlook the Shore Diving Capital of the World, Bonaire! Get in touch and let us help you plan your next dream diving holiday! And check out our 2021 Bonaire Trip Report for more information here.
Key Facts :
- Getting there : Our flights were with KLM Airlines flying from Heathrow to Bonaire via Amsterdam and a quick stopover in Aruba. The first flight is a quick 90 minutes. A quick two-hour layover before our 11-hour flight onto Bonaire arriving at 7:15pm. We were greeted by Buddy Dive staff and after a quick 15-minute drive we arrived at the resort. We were quickly given our room keys and off to the restaurant for some food. Our flight home left after dinner arriving in London in the early afternoon. KLM offers flights to Amsterdam from many UK airports so alternatives are readily available.
- Air temperature : Tropical – average daily temperature throughout the year is 31°C. Rainfall passes quickly and the sea breezes are most welcome!
- Water temperature : 28-30°C. A 1-3mm full suit or shorty is recommended to protect from scratches and stings and to keep the sand out.
- Visa requirement : UK passport holders are permitted to enter Bonaire without a visa for a period of 90 days.
- Immigration : A Bonaire Tourism tax of $75 is required to be paid before arrival and can be done online. A QR code is provided and must be shown to airport personnel on arrival and departure.
- Tourism : The STINAPA Marine Park of $40 is required before arrival and can be paid online. You are required to have your marine park QR code on hand should you be asked by the authorities.
- Currency : US Dollars are accepted across the island. Some establishments accept only cash so be sure and have some on hand. ATMs are easily found.
- Electricity : 120V with European 2-pin plugs.
- Internet and Wi-Fi : There is wifi in resort and worked well in our room and all over the resort. We were able to email, WhatsApp and post on social media without issue.
Price Guide: For 2024 expect from £1799 per person for 7 nights at Buddy Dive with bed and breakfast plus unlimited NITROX and truck rental. Two weeks from £2999 per person. Includes flights and ATOL protection.
Our Advice: Get your dive club together and visit Bonaire! Shore and boat diving are available and the area is suited for all levels of diving experience. Buddy Dive is perfect for big and small groups. A well-equipped dive center and amazing house reef can’t be beat!
Packing tips :
- Bag for Life : $4 in the supermarket! And you will need a quarter ($0.25) for the shopping trolley!
- Cool Bag : Great for keeping your sandwiches and snacks cool in your truck, especially if you have a frozen water bottle in it too. Buy two big bottles and freeze one, chill the other.
- DIN adapter : Tanks in Bonaire are A-clamp.
- Dive Boots : With ultra-thick soles – you will be walking across rocks and dead coral, so good protection is needed.
- Insect repellent : We’ve made a habit of throwing some repellent in our dive bags every trip but with the lovely breezes we didn’t suffer the mozzies much at all!
- Rechargeable fan(s) : If you’ve read any of our recent trip reports we recommend these over and over again. We can’t believe we travelled without them for so many years! Join the fan club and grab one off Amazon… you won’t regret it!
Come Dive with Us!
The Scuba Place designs and builds custom scuba diving holidays. With personal knowledge and experience diving in many of our destinations, there is no one better to help build your dream dive holiday. Come Dive with Us!
Call us at 020 3515 9955 or email at reservations@thescubaplace.co.uk
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News
Filming 360 in The Bahamas

In December 2024, the Shark Trust had a very special opportunity to film sharks and rays in The Bahamas. Frogfish Photography are the Bahamas Dive Ambassadors for the UK. And Caroline, Deputy Editor at Scubaverse, is the Marketing Manager at the Shark Trust. So, when the need arose to film footage of several species of shark and ray for a new Shark Trust project, The Bahamas seemed the perfect fit. A huge thank you is needed here to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. As they stepped in to fully support the trip both financially and practically. Ensuring that the filming expedition ran smoothly, and that we got as much time as possible in the water with sharks and rays, during the 10 day, 3 island trip.
The Bahamas is famous for its sharks and rays. Divers flock there to experience getting up close to a range of species. Our itinerary saw us visit Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama. It packed in as many in-water experiences as possible and had us dive, snorkel, and even take a submarine to experience them in a variety of different habitats and to capture them on film. We saw 148 sharks and rays from 8 different species (all of which have been logged on the Shark Trust Shark Log!).
But why were we there? The expedition was designed to fulfil the needs of two new projects being launched by the Shark Trust in 2025. The filming done underwater on this trip was the start of creating OneOcean360: A Shark Story. A new 360 immersive experience designed primarily for immersive domes and planetariums. The film will be the nearest experience to getting in the water with sharks and rays without getting wet! It will bring the world of sharks to an audience that may never get the chance to experience it first-hand. A Shark Story aims to deepen people’s understanding of sharks, uncovering and illustrating why they are so wonderful as well as being vital to marine ecosystems.
The film is being made in collaboration with Real Immersive. Also based in Plymouth, they have an immersive dome and are providing the technical expertise behind creating this unique experience. Reviewing the footage in the dome has been an invaluable part of the process. Both inspiring the team and allow us to refine the filming techniques to suit this immersive theatre.
You might imagine that we are using expensive cameras and even more expensive housings. But this is not the case. The entire project is being filmed using Insta360 X4 cameras. With only a few simple additions to the standard dive setup. The INON weight plate allowed us to attach this camera to a dive weight, set it down on sand or wreck, and then swim away and let the sharks be the stars. And the results are very exciting. The film will be ready this autumn. It will be accompanied by an educational pack for teachers to take away after school trips to see the film. Encouraging all those that see it to continue learning about these incredible animals.
You can support the creation of OneOcean360: A Shark Story by heading to the crowdfunder page and donating or selecting a reward.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-shark-story
Read about the shark and ray dives we did on Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama in our next blog post coming soon on Scubaverse.
Blogs
PADI Global Membership Contributes to Study That Indicates Revival of MPAs Would Bolster Billions for the Industry

Scientists, including those from National Geographic Pristine Seas, find scuba divers are willing to pay more to seek adventure in Marine Protected Areas, estimating an additional USD 2.7 billion spent per annum.
11 February 2025 – PADI®, the world’s largest scuba diving organisation, has been working with National Geographic Pristine Seas for the last three years to help identify the positive effects of protecting scuba diving sites around the world – which was recently published in new peer-reviewed research.
PADI’s global membership of 6,600 PADI Dive Centres and Resorts in over 180 countries helped National Geographic Pristine Seas assemble a database that estimated the number of scuba dives annually, the extent to which protection would increase biomass and biodiversity in an area, and a scuba diver’s willingness to pay access fees to dive in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
As a result, the study found that more fully protected dive sites would generate an estimated USD 2.7 billion in additional income globally for the scuba diving industry, most of which would come from access fees paid by divers directly to local communities. This additional protection would also help regenerate marine ecosystems and a new long-term income source for these coastal economies.
“Bottom line, ocean protection benefits marine life, coastal communities and businesses,” remarked Enric Sala, founder of National Geographic Pristine Seas. “Protecting diving sites from fishing and other damaging activities can generate new streams of income and benefit more people. It’s increasingly clear that efforts to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 are even more beneficial than we thought.”
These research findings directly align with the goals of PADI’s Blueprint For Ocean Action– in which safeguarding recreational dive hotspots around the globe would deliver a host of benefits to tourists, local communities, and marine life. In 2022 PADI Iaunched an ambitious new initiative to establish the world’s largest network of conservation sites aimed at protecting ocean habitats and species threatened with extinction. Supported by Blancpain, founding partner of PADI’s MPA Program, the Adopt The Blue™ program activates a global network of dive sites across the planet to establish more Marine Protected Areas to regenerate local economies and coastlines.
“By PADI joining forces with like-minded global partners such as National Geographic Pristine Seas, we will exponentially increase our positive impact for saving the ocean,” said Dr. Drew Richardson, President & CEO of PADI. “With more marine protected areas, we can reinvigorate the diver experience and regenerate hope for the ocean; and with that comes more people who are inspired to explore the ocean and become Torchbearers to further advocate for safeguarding its future.”
Since 2008, National Geographic Pristine Seas has helped establish 29 of the largest MPAs in the world, covering a total area of 6.9 million square kilometers – more than twice the size of India. Their latest peer-reviewed research joins their resume of over 300 that have already been published.
“If you protect a marine area, more recreational divers will show up and they’ll pay more for the privilege of seeing sensational underwater life,” said Reniel Cabral, a Senior Lecturer at James Cook University and the study’s lead author. “Communities and businesses are leaving money on the table by overlooking the benefits of marine sanctuaries.”
Other key findings from the most recent study include:
- Some 33 million dives take place in the ocean each year, but only 15% of dive sites are fully protected from fishing and other destructive activities
- More MPAs estimated to increase the number of dives annually by 32% (10 million + more per year)
- Egypt, Thailand, and the US host the most scuba diving annually (est. USD 3 million annually)
- Indonesia, Egypt, and Australia host the most dives within MPA borders annually
- The Philippines, the US, and Indonesia would benefit the most economically from designating sanctuaries in popular diving spots.
- The Global South — host to some 62% of recreational dives — is poised to gain the most.
“The potential for the recreational diver industry to create positive ocean change is unparalleled,” continues Richardson. “As the only global community to have the superhero skills to descend beneath the surface and both connect with and help the marine world directly, there is a massive opportunity to change the way we all seek adventure. As the world’s largest scuba diving organisation, we can play a key part in reaching the global target of 30% protection by 2030 and enrich both ours and the ocean’s livelihood simultaneously.”
To help PADI advocate for the establishment of more MPAs, visit padi.com/aware/AdoptTheBlue
National Geographic Pristine Seas
Pristine Seas works with Indigenous and local communities, governments, and other partners to help protect vital places in the ocean using a unique combination of research, community engagement, policy work, and filmmaking. Since 2008, our program has conducted more than 45 expeditions around the world and helped establish 29 marine reserves, spanning more than 6.9 million square kilometers of ocean. Pristine Seas is part of the global non-profit, the National Geographic Society. Our mission is driven by science and filmmaking — we are fully independent from National Geographic publishing and its media arm.
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the largest purpose-driven diving organisation with a global network of 6,600 dive centres and resorts, 128,000 professional members, and more than 30 million certified divers to date. Committed to our blue planet, PADI makes the wonder of the underwater world accessible to all, empowering people around the world to experience, explore and take meaningful action, as Ocean TorchbearersTM, to protect the world beneath the surface. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. For divers by divers, PADI is obsessed with transforming lives and, with its global foundation, PADI AWARETM, creating positive ocean change. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.SM www.padi.com
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