reef

Log This Dive

1000 Steps

Okay, let’s be real, the 1000 Steps name is a bit of a fib, but it sets the tone for a dive that delivers. You’re definitely not walking down a thousand steps, more like sixty-odd limestone stairs, but you’ll feel every single one of them on the way back up when you’re lugging your gear. That’s the Bonaire shore diving life, though, and it’s always worth the effort here. Once you hit the water, the slight exertion is forgotten. We love the immediate drop-off into deep blue, a wall blanketed in huge formations of grooved brain coral and mustard hill coral. It’s an easy swim out, past schools of bluestriped grunts and schoolmasters hanging around the shallows. Keep an eye out for loggerhead and hawksbill turtles munching away; they’re regular fixtures. Our favourite part has to be the sheer density of reef fish – we’ve seen everything from banded basslets darting through crevices to the occasional orbicular batfish gliding by. The fire coral patches are impressive, but obviously, watch your buoyancy. This site suits divers who appreciate a classic Caribbean wall dive with abundant, healthy reef life and don’t mind a bit of a workout for the entry and exit. We’d suggest going early to beat any crowds, especially cruise ship day-trippers.