Page 135 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

Bonaire: The Best and Safest Place for a Family to Scuba Dive

Dean Homayouni, the President and Founder of 3D Action Video Inc. discusses why Bonaire
is the most economical and safest location for a family to scuba dive. If the child or new diver
panics they can quickly get back to shore.

T he top three rated dive locations in the There are no cars and it is packed at night. The Platform reefs are less developed and with
Caribbean are (1) Bonaire, (2) Cozumel and shops are high-end and with lots of entertain- the depths of the reef rarely exceeding 30-50
(3) the Grand Cayman Islands. Cozumel is part ment. feet (10-15 meters). The age of these reefs are
of a massive chain of reefs that stretches from between 1,000 to 10,000 years old. Examples of
the Gulf of Mexico to Honduras. It is the second Cozumel, Mexico and its great reefs of Co- such reefs are Columbia Shallows, Paradise and
largest reef system in the world behind the Great lumbia Wall, Palancar Wall and Santa Rosa Yucab. Edge Reefs are characterized by continu-
Barrier Reef off Eastern Coast of Australia. Wall are truly amazing dives. Santa Rosa Wall is ous structures rising into coral peals high above
rated one of the top fifty dive sites in the world the edge drop off and extending as much as 180
Diving the Great Reefs of Cozumel – Coz- and is my favorite dive. I have visited Cozumel feet (55 meters) below the surface. Examples are
umel is an island located about 45 minutes many times to dive the “Big Three”. Cozumel is the famous Big Three comprised of Columbia,
south of Cancun. There is readily direct jet ser- fringed by a complex reef ecosystem. The coral Palancar and Santa Rosa. A picture that is char-
vice into the island. You can also get to the island formations creating Cozumel’s reef systems are acterizes this type of reef structure was taken by
by flying to Cancun, taking a 45 minute bus ride not continuous, but a series of isolated forma- my daughter Arielle, of myself and my wife Susan
from the airport for about $10 and then taking tions, and integrated structures characteristic of diving the famous Santa Rosa Wall. The straight
a 45 minute ferry ride from Playa Del Carmen to reefs found along island shelves. The reefs cover vertical wall of Santa Rosa is quite pronounced in
the island. Playa Del Carmen is the fastest grow- an area of 17 square kilometers comprise of two the picture.
ing city in the Caribbean and attracts a mature distinct types of reef systems (1) Platform and (2)
crowd. Playa Del Carmen’s 5th avenue is a New Edge Reefs.
Orleans type atmosphere about 30 blocks long.,