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Bonaire 2024 Trip Report

If you don’t recognize this picture, then you weren’t on one of the best ever Active Divers trips to Bonaire. In 2019, we took a chance on a resort that was in the middle of reconstruction because of its location and the great deal we got. Five years later, with significant investments and several improvements, it’s still a great deal, but now a great resort too! This was the view we saw each morning, lunch and diner at the Van Der Valk Plaza Hotel and Dive Resort at our reserved table in the restaurant. It’s where we talked about the day ahead, the dives we did in the morning, the dives we were going to do in the afternoon, and the great day we had at diner. And then there were the spectacular sunsets to end our days at dinner.

It takes a lot of things to make a good dive trip, mainly the diving, but it takes even more to make a GREAT dive trip. And this was a GREAT dive trip!! As always, the diving in Bonaire is spectacular, including the house reef (18 Palms) at the resort where many of our divers used the awesome shore diving facilities. And where else can you do a 100-foot-deep shore dive but in Bonaire?

The last time we were there, the pool area was under construction so we couldn’t go there after our dives but now there is a spectacular pool area with live music, DJs and a wonderful place to cool off after the last afternoon dive. So, what were the extra ingredients that made this a great dive trip?

Here are some quotes from our trip members: 

• “Vibrant Coral- Amazing people”
• “Awesome great fun”
• “Captivating Marine Life-Luxury Resort”
• “Surpassed Expectations”
• “Something Special”
• “Easy-peasy diving”
• “Fantastic adventure-loved diving with my daughter”
• “Absolutely beautiful resort with spacious rooms, a beautiful pool and great food”
• “Great fun”

But it was the group chemistry among seasoned divers,young couples and new club members that really made this such a special event. The dive shop had some boats that were out of commission so we only did 13 boat dives, but many of our divers did 1-3 shore dives. Among the sightings were frog fish, seahorses, octopus, tarpon, rays, cuttlefish, turtles and a plethora of tropical schooling fish. And one of the most amazing sites was the biggest “bait ball” that I have ever seen!! Click on the photo to see the video.

And of course, we did one of the best night dives in the world at the Salt Pier. We had a “WhatsApp” group chat where everyone shared pictures and videos all the time so we had a collective video and photo memory of the trip that went on all the time.

We ended the trip on Friday afternoon by going to the Cadushy Distillery in Rincon, where we sampled many of their awarded products. Some of our guests took home many of these rare products.

When we returned to the resort, we attended a farewell party at the dive shop which included the awarding of “Special Rocks” with the logo of the dive groups in attendance. I was proud to accept the award on behalf of our group. 

Afterwards, we did a group picture on the boats we used with our crew. 

Dan and I have done a lot of groups trips for Active Divers but I don’t remember any that were better than this one- but maybe the next one will be!!

--Dan and Daryl

This is the view that greeted our small group of divers on July 20, 2024, and for just about every day that week we were waking to the same breezy, mesmerizing views. Of course, we were there for the diving and the underwater views, but this set the stage for a truly amazing dive trip.

As usual, Reef Divers did a great job of delivering ‘Valet Diving”, and once they picked up our equipment outside our rooms, we didn’t need to do anything. All we had to do was walk to the platform at the end of the boat and wait for our gear, slip it on and do a giant stride into the blue water. With four Newton 46-foot boats going out every day we were never crowded on any of our 17 dives.

Most of the group were photographers and a What’s App group was set up to share pictures ... and there were a lot of them! Sightings included a massive barracuda, multiple large groupers at cleaning stations, spotted eagle rays, southern sting rays, schools of tropical fish, garden eels, jawfish, and sharks. All of this against the back drop of the famous Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Bight. Most often the boat was moored over a shallow reef just next to the shear wall that drops off into the abyss, hundreds of feet deep. Visibility was consistently 80 feet plus, so looking out over the wall was like looking into the equivalent of a Grand Canyon covered in living coral. And contrary to some rumors about coral bleaching in the area, there was virtually no bleaching observed.

Our resident videographer, Steve Potanovic, captured the spirit of the trip and can be viewed at this link https://youtu.be/uHO-2n66SlU.

Little Cayman consistently delivers excellent diving and accommodations. While we usually have bigger groups, it was very relaxing to have a small group of friends and divers at this world class location.

We'll finish the international dive travel season with our annual Dive Cruise in October! See you next time!

Dan and Daryl

Once Upon a Time in Dominica

  

 

A long, long time ago (17 years to be exact), Dan and I did a dive trip to Dominica. At that time there were limited places to stay and only a few dive operators. The diving was very good and made up for some of the shortcomings in the accommodations and local infrastructure. Since then, we have been to many other places and sort of “forgot” about Dominica.

They were in the news in 2017 when Hurricane Maria arrived in 2017 as a category 5 storm and decimated the island, destroying 98% of the building roofs. Since then, a major rebuilding has been underway, including the hotel where we had previously stayed. So, when we heard that it had been completely refurbished and now had a dive operation with two new boats, we had to go check it out!

Off we went in May, 2024 for a short exploratory trip to the Fort Young Hotel and Dive Resort for three nights and two days of diving. The first thing one notices when arriving in Dominica is how lush and mountainous it is. The colors of the flowers and shrubs against the green backdrop jump out at you as you pass by them. The island is known for its natural beauty and laid-back vibe. While the diving is very good there is also a lot of ECO tourism in the mountains. It’s the “newest” island in the Caribbean at a mere 26 million years old and has a lot of geothermal activity including hot springs, as well as a famous dive site known as Champagne Reef. It’s literally bubbling like a glass of champagne with gas and hot water from a geothermal vent located at the site. Click on the image at right to view a short video of the bubbling methane gas.

It's an exciting drive through mountainous roads for over an hour from the airport to the hotel. After we got settled in, we checked in with the dive shop and made arrangements for our dives. We then set out to explore the nearby waterfront stores and were delighted to find a nicely stocked market with most everything we were likely to need. Our package only included breakfast, so we also decided to see if there were more choices for dining than when we were there before. Once again, we were happy to see that there were now several good choices available.

The next day we got ready for diving and boarded a very nice new catamaran dive boat. It would hold 22 divers but there were only 14 on board. With its wide deck and ample sun cover it was very comfortable and well laid out for diving. Off to the marine park for our first dive on “The Abyss” an apply named wall dive. Our divemaster gave a thorough briefing and dive plan. After a giant stride into the 81-degree water we were met with very good visibility, lots of colorful soft and hard corals. We followed our guide who led a relaxed dive exactly according to his briefing. It was evident that they really had a good operation going.

Back on board for our surface interval fresh fruit was served and we could soak in the beauty of the island while we relaxed. Frankly, I enjoyed the surface interval almost as much as the dive! After our second dive we returned to the hotel for lunch. There is also shore diving with unlimited use of tanks and weights so we opted to explore that in the afternoon to make sure we had a complete evaluation of the facilities.

All in all, returning to Dominica was a refreshing and rewarding trip. Also, going in May to start the dive season off was very pleasant. So, mark your calendars for May, 2025 as we work to put together another exciting scuba adventure!

Dan and Daryl

NOTE: The photos surrounding the headline are taken from video shot while in Dominica. To view the entire unedited video (length: approximately 15 minutes), go to Dan's YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/1RBkQg7rGVY

This year we are thrilled to be returning to the Blue Heron Bridge on Saturday, April 27 at Phil Foster Park – 900 Blue Heron Blvd., Riviera Beach, FL 33404 for our annual season opener picnic, BBQ, Swap Meet and Raffle. We will meet for diving at 9:00 a.m. and have the BBQ at noon. This event is open to all Active Divers Association members, prospective members, family, and friends. New members to the club can join at the $49 early bird rate.

Members are encouraged to bring a dish, snacks or soft drinks to share. Please be advised that no alcoholic beverages are allowed at the park. Please RSVP to John Davis by email at johncdavisauthor@gmail.com and let him know what you plan to bring for the potluck. Deadline to RSVP is April 24.

We will dive the Blue Heron Bridge, named the Best Shore Dive in the US. Our Safety Officers will lead the shore dive in groups to the best sites at the bridge. Bring all your own gear, tank, weights and a dive flag if you have one. If you need to rent a tank or any other gear, stop by Force E at 155 Blue Heron Blvd., Riviera Beach, FL 33404 on your way to the park. The park has picnic tables, bathroom, and outdoor showers. Look for us under the covered pavilions on the west side of the park.

Bring your gently used dive gear for sale or swap at our annual swap meet!! Please note: No warranty is implied or expressed for equipment acquired at this event. The Active Divers Association is not responsible for the safety of functioning of any equipment purchased or acquired during this event.

Get your new shirts at the picnic! New rash guard shirts are here and they will be available for purchase at the picnic for $25, or online for $30 including shipping. They are available in Women’s and Men’s sizing from S to XL. Get yours before they’re gone! We look forward to seeing you there!