It's even better at night.

For night diving, the Old Town Pier in downtown Kralendijk is regarded as one of the world's best places for macro photography. After dark, the pilings of the Old Town Pier come alive with literally thousands of orange tubastrea polyps, their tiny tentacles extended in search of food.

Arrow crabs, bristle worms, banded coral shrimp, frog fish and sponges of every shape and color are found on the pilings.   

  Even the deepest pier piling is less than 30 feet, so diving truly is unlimited and it's easy for a tank to last for at least an hour and a half. With so many easy photo ops, divers usually shuttle back to shore far more often to change film than tanks.   

For Bonaire veterans, one of the most relaxing and satisfying outings is a day trip north into Washington National Park and the shore diving there. Boat trips to this far point, however, can be long, wet and messy, depending on the type of craft.

And due to the distance, these trips are not usually made every day by a dive operator. With a rental car, you can dive the park every day, if that's your preference.

  Another advantage of shore over boat diving is that it is considerably cheaper than the usual dive package. A $200 to $300 weekly rental car fee shared by two people, or even a couple, is going to come out much less expensive than a week of full-day boat dives.

  So why don't all Bonaire divers do nothing but shore dive? Well, there is also the nearby island of Klein Bonaire , which has several very worthwhile dive sites that can be reached only by boat.

And those who dive only during their annual vacation understandably prefer the presence of a knowledgeable guide to help with their gear and show them the way.

Furthermore, first-time Bonaire divers would also want to use a guide to familiarize them with the island and its dozens of sites.

  On a return trip, they can do it all on their own, which is why so many divers return to Bonaire time after time and go almost nowhere else.

Bonaire's Easy Shore Diving Part 1

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