Page 130 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

he vertical nature of this dive is not nature of the coral structure. he second way to reach this site and

T apparent until you begin your jour- L a Dania’s Leap is another must dive. T the method we use is to enter off the
Rumor has it that in the early days,
ney back to the surface. The wall and your concrete platform at Karpata and leisurely
journey back to the lower depths appears swim to the Left. You turn onto you back

vertical. Light to moderate currents, novice Captain Don Stewart took a group of new and peddle 100 years to the left. The third

and intermediate divers can pose for pic- drivers out to the cliffs north of Kralendijk. way to access the site by boat. Boats dives

tures alongside one of the many huge ship The divers were to jump the 15 to 20 feet are infrequent to these two sites because

anchors embedded in the coral at the lower into the water while drifting north to Kar- they are the two most northern dive sites

depths. pata, the original marine laboratory on the in the island.

K nown for great visibility, wide angle island. Well, everyone chickened out save L a Danas Leap is a natural wonder. There
photographers can enjoy panoramic for one lady, Dania, hence the name La are sections that have pure vertical
Dania’s Leap.

vistas to frame their subjects. Karpata has T he diving here is remarkable, and it’s walls and the coral is vibrant and rich.
a rich fern forest at 20 feet and numerous truly a deep sea wall at a 180 degree Massive schools of fish make this site their
trumpet fish make the ferns their home. home. Large groupers can be seen looking

Many have taken on a yellow or light brown angle. La Dania’s is one of Bonaire’s few for lunch. We have seen large eagle rays lei-

colorization to match the surrounding vertical walls, with numerous canyons and surely float by on many occasions. Around

fauna. Between 20 and 40 feet the sea like sand shoots. Gorgonians are waving in the any corner may be a barracuda lurking for

is expansive and varied. As you descend to wind, and at shallower depths you’ll find its next meal. You may get lucky enough to

lower depths in excess of 80 feet the sea all sorts of stony coral. There are two ways see multiple barracuda swimming in packs

life thins out but the fan corals and the to reach this dive site. The first is to pull off or the occasional one or two larger barra-

vibrancy of the coral structures increase. the side of the highway and carry your dive cuda swimming as a team. Large schools of

This site requires multiple dives to explore gear to the cliff. Dive in when you can see juvenile parrot fish swimming in packs and

the Shallow Shore and the Fern Forest, the moorings offshore, explore the wall, are an exciting experience.

the Mid Reef between 30 and 60 feet and and surface after you drift up to Karpata.

some deep dives to experience the vertical