Bonaire National Marine Park
BONAIRE
Bonaire gets – and deserves – a lot of credit for its commitment to the protection of its marine environment. The Marine Park, which surrounds the island from the high-water mark down to 200 feet, was pioneered by a diver (the famous Captain Don Stewart) back in 1979 and has been supported by diver contributions since 1990. There's great snorkeling around most of the island (look for the yellow shore-dive markers), but standouts include Sorobon in Lac Bay, 1,000 Steps, Karpata, and Klein Bonaire. In some places, the hard corals grow right to the surface, and there are still healthy stands of elkhorn swarming with fish. The annual fee is $25 for divers, $10 for snorkelers.
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