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Is diving in Bonaire better than Curacao

Is diving in Bonaire better than Curacao - Bumphead Parrotfish
Bumphead Parrotfish (or Humphead parrotfish)

Bonaire and Curacao are fantastic destinations for diving in crystal-clear waters, beautiful coral reefs, and abundant marine life. Bonaire is famous for its shore diving and easy accessibility to its reefs, where as Curacao has vibrant coral reefs, dramatic walls, and an abundance of marine life.

I can vouch for noth places, having stayed on both islands and dive from both places. What I loved about Bonaire is how cheap the diving is, and you can rent dive tanks and go off and dive on your own with a dive buddy from some of the best share dives in the world.

What I loved about Curacao was how cheap it is to stay there and the food is also good and cheap too, as well as good diving. But in my opinion Bonaire is the better place for scuba diving out of the two. Also, the reason I chose the Bumphead parrotfish or Humphead parrotfish for the image on this article about Bonaire and Curacao is because I saw large shoals of these fish in Bonaire, and they are huge!

Bonaire is famous for its shore diving and easy accessibility to its reefs. The island has a marine park that surrounds the entire island, which means the waters are well protected, and the reefs are in excellent condition. The coral reefs are healthy, and divers can explore a diverse range of underwater landscapes, from shallow reefs to deep walls. The marine life in Bonaire is also impressive, with over 470 fish species and 120 coral species.

Curacao is also an excellent destination for diving, with vibrant coral reefs, dramatic walls, and an abundance of marine life. The island has many dive sites that are accessible by boat, and divers can explore reefs, wrecks, and even underwater caves. The visibility in Curacao is generally good, and divers can expect to see a variety of marine creatures, including sea turtles, rays, eels, and sharks.

Ultimately, whether diving in Bonaire or Curacao is better depends on personal preferences and diving experience. Both destinations offer excellent diving opportunities, and divers will have a fantastic time exploring the underwater world in either location.

Which ABC island is best for diving?

The ABC Islands, which refer to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, are all great destinations for diving, but Bonaire is often considered the best of the three for diving.

Bonaire is known for its pristine coral reefs, crystal-clear waters, and abundant marine life. The island has a well-established marine park that protects the reefs, which has helped to maintain the health and biodiversity of the marine ecosystem. Bonaire is also famous for its shore diving, which means that divers can easily access the dive sites from the shore without having to take a boat.

In contrast, Aruba has fewer dive sites than Bonaire, but there are still many excellent locations to explore. The island is known for its wreck diving, with several fascinating shipwrecks to discover. Aruba’s dive sites are mainly accessible by boat, but there are also a few shore dives available.

Curacao is also a great destination for diving, with a variety of dive sites, including shallow reefs, deep walls, and even underwater caves. The marine life in Curacao is abundant, and divers can expect to see a variety of species, including sea turtles, rays, and sharks. However, some areas of the reef in Curacao have been damaged by past hurricanes and storms.

Overall, all three ABC islands offer fantastic diving opportunities, but Bonaire is often considered the best due to its well-preserved reefs and excellent shore diving.

Does Bonaire have good diving?

Bonaire is widely recognised as one of the top diving destinations in the world. The island is famous for its pristine coral reefs, crystal-clear waters, and abundant marine life.

One of the unique features of diving in Bonaire is its accessibility. The island has a well-established marine park that surrounds the entire island, which means the waters are well protected, and the reefs are in excellent condition. Additionally, most of Bonaire’s dive sites are accessible from the shore, which makes it an ideal destination for shore diving.

Bonaire’s underwater landscape offers a diverse range of environments to explore, from shallow reefs to deep walls. The marine life in Bonaire is also impressive, with over 470 fish species and 120 coral species. Divers can expect to see a variety of species, including colorful tropical fish, sea turtles, rays, and even the occasional shark.

Overall, Bonaire is a fantastic destination for diving, and its well-preserved coral reefs and abundant marine life make it a top choice for divers of all levels.

Does Curacao have good scuba diving?

Curacao is a great destination for scuba diving with its crystal-clear waters, healthy coral reefs, and abundant marine life. The island offers a diverse range of dive sites, including shallow reefs, deep walls, and even underwater caves.

Curacao’s underwater environment is known for its vibrant coral reefs, which are home to a variety of marine creatures, including sea turtles, rays, eels, and sharks. One of the unique features of diving in Curacao is the variety of wrecks that are accessible for exploration, including cargo ships, airplanes, and even an old tugboat.

Most of Curacao’s dive sites are accessible by boat, but there are also a few shore dives available. The visibility in Curacao is generally good, with water temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to the low 80s Fahrenheit (mid-20s to low 30s Celsius) throughout the year.

Overall, Curacao offers excellent diving opportunities for divers of all levels, from beginners to experienced divers. The island’s well-preserved reefs and abundant marine life make it a great destination for underwater exploration and adventure.

Is Bonaire or Curacao safer?

Both Bonaire and Curacao are considered relatively safe destinations for travelers. However, as with any destination, it’s important to take normal precautions to ensure personal safety.

Bonaire is known for its low crime rate, and the island has a reputation as a safe and friendly place to visit. The local police force is responsive, and the island has a low incidence of violent crime. However, visitors should still take basic safety measures, such as locking their car doors and avoiding walking alone at night in unlit areas.

Similarly, Curacao is generally considered safe, but visitors should take precautions to avoid becoming a victim of crime. The island has a higher crime rate than Bonaire, but most of the incidents involve property crimes such as theft. Visitors should avoid leaving valuables unattended on the beach or in rental cars, and they should also exercise caution when walking around at night in less well-lit areas.

Overall, both Bonaire and Curacao are safe destinations, but travelers should take basic precautions to ensure their personal safety and avoid becoming a victim of crime.

If you fancy booking yourself on a diving liveaboard, which is something you should do if you haven’t before, please take a look at the following window of dive liveaboards:

I hope you enjoyed this article about is diving in Bonaire better than Curacao

I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of diving and snorkelling. Please use the comments section below. Please also share your photos. Either from your underwater cameras or videos from your waterproof go-pro’s!

But in particular if you’ve dived either in the Maldives or in particular on the Maldives Emperor Voyager liveaboard, please share your experiences.

If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkelling or scuba diving (or specifically about is diving in Bonaire better than Curacao), please comment below with your questions.

There will also be many more articles about scuba and scuba diving safety tips (and on snorkelling too) for you to read and learn about this fabulous sport.

Is diving in Bonaire better than Curacao

Article written by Russell Bowyer who has been a scuba diver since diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 1989. After his first dive he trained as a BSAC diver in the UK. He attained his Diver Leader certification with BSAC. He then went on to become a scuba diving instructor, teaching others how to dive and was voted as Diving Officer and Treasurer for the Saffron Walden BSAC club too. Russell has dived all over the world, including the UK, on liveaboards in the Red Sea, the Caribbean, South Africa and the USA. Russell is experienced in all dive types, including drift diving, deep dives that involved decompression stops and recreational dives too.

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