Page 120 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

n 1633, the Dutch took possession of Bonaire, have salt water pumped into them and the water pilings themselves. Other times you look up and
is evaporated by the sun, leaving salt. The salt see the lone queen angelfish. You never know
Ialong with Aruba and Curacao. They imported is pilled into large hills that is loaded onto large what you will see at this pier when you look up,
transport ships and sent to Europe. Cargill uti- maybe even the resident barracuda! The Salt Pier
African slaves to work the plantations and the lizes the solar evaporation and harvesting ponds is a must dive on Bonaire behind Karpata and La
salt mines. Bonaire’s ownership changed hands as a low cost energy solution to obtain the salt. Dalia’s Leap.
several times until 1816, when the Dutch main-
tained leadership.

T The Salt Mines and Salt Evaporation ponds he massive Salt Pier has become a home and The massive pier structure blocks out light
have been in use since the early 1600s. Start-sanctuary for a diverse sea life population and creates a unique scuba diving adven-
ture. The resultant richness and dark blue color
ing in 1623, ships of the West India Company and provides a structure for the growth of coral of the water creates a mystic viewing experience
with schools of fish, including large Tarpons,
called at Bonaire to obtain meat, water, and and sponges. The immensity and intensity of sea Barracuda, Grouper and the occasional sea
turtle. You can point your camera of camcorder
wood. Bonaire became a plantation of the Dutch life present at the Salt Pier at times can be over- upwards and see streaks of light interacting with
this massive structure. We always look for the
West India Company. A small number of African whelming. The easy access from shore, the lack beautiful puffer fish that make the Salt Pier their
home and gently sleep at night. The Pier pro-
slaves were put to work alongside Indians and of currents, the massive diving infrastructure on vides hiding places and structures that smaller
fish can navigate faster around than the larger
convicts, cultivating dyewood and maize and Bonaire and the spectacular day and night div- predators that are always seeking a quick meal.
We have dived this site many times and never
harvesting solar salt. Slave quarters, built entirely ing at this location is one of the reasons we rate tire of it. The large pier requires multiple dives to
only begin an initial exploration of this unique
of stone and too short for a man to stand upright Bonaire the number 1 location to scuba dive in dive site.

in, still stand in the area around Rincon and the Caribbean.

along the saltpans near the Salt Pier as a grim Diving beneath a pier can be amazing. There
is lots of sponge and coral growth on the
reminder of Bonaire’s repressive past.

The Salt Pier services the Cargill salt evapora- pilings and fish seem to congregate around
tion ponds that are located on the flat south- them. Large accumulations of different colored
ern side of the Bonaire. The Salt Pier was built in sponges are growing all of the pillars of the Salt

the 1960’s to efficiently load freighters with sea Pier. Over the last fifty years coral has begun to

salt. There is large expanse that barely rises 5 attach to the salt pier. At times you can see mas-

feet above the ocean. Large dehydration ponds sive schools of fish where you can barely see the