Date Line:  Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles.

12/01/09

Our first dive today was Wind Sock, which is just south of Wind Sock Steep. We went to a depth of 66 feet for 57 minutes.

Saw a whole bunch of fairy baslets, which are little fish that are bright blue from their nose to their mid-section, and then bright orange from their middle to their tail.

Ran into a two groups of divers under the water.

Have yet to see a lion fish. We were warned about these new-comers to Caribbean waters. They are large scorpion fish with huge manes that stick out all sides of their heads. They have long, boney spines that protrude from their backs which are extremely poisonous.

Fortunately for humans, they are cowards unless cornered. Unfortunately for marine life in these waters, they eat anything and everything that is smaller than them, and they have no natural predators down here.

They natural habitat is the Red Sea and the Medditerean Sea, where they are controlled by natural predators.

How did they wind up in the Caribbean? Believe it or not, The infamous Hurricane Andrew had a lot to do with it.

Somebody on the southern east coast of the Florida had a bunch of them in aquariums. When Andrew hit, the tanks were breeched, and hundreds of these devils escaped into the open ocean and headed south. First, They decimated the coral reefs in Cuba, moved south to Jamaica, Aruba, and now they are being sighted in Bonaire. Their eat everything in their path, and the diving industry, which depends on a myriad of tropical fish for the divers to gape at, are scared to death.

We have yet to see one.

Above is a picture of one of the little devils. Beautiful but deadly.

12/2/09

Our second dive yesterday was again off of Kaya Kachi, This time, we entered the water a little farther north, right in front of the studio apartment that we used to rent.

Dove down to 52 feet for 48 minutes. It was a nice, relaxing dive. Mary pointed out two tiny banded shrimp hiding in the coral. These cute little critters have antennae on their heads that stick out about three inches. The rest of their bodies are only about two inches long. Their coloring consists of alternating red and white rings around their claws, torsos and tails. I’m not sure, but I think their job on the reef is to rid fish of parasites. 

Fish pull up to a cleaning station, much like you would take your car to car wash, and these little cleaning attendants go to work picking off and eating unwanted hitchhikers.

Parrot fish, yellow jacks, angel fish, trumpet fish, and all kinds of coral were in abundance. One large brain coral must have been over six feet tall.

Mary also pointed out one very large spiney sea urchin hidden deep in the reef. (Smaller versions of this guy are everywhere along the shore line. They hurt like all hell if you step or sit down on them! I know from personal experience!)

On the way out, at about fifteen feet,  we spied a large tarpon – about three feet in length. These critters are cool. They look like they are made out of shiny chrome, and they just sort of mosey along in the water, unhurried and peaceful.

Last night we took our first walk down to Karel’s By The Sea. It is a tiki bar out on a pier in the center of town. The place is about a half mile from our apartment, and about ¾ of a mile from the apartment that we used to rent. When I want to unwind and don’t have time to meditate, I close my eyes and come to this walk by the sea, pretending I am with Mary, and we are going to Karel’s for a Crème de Menthe on the rocks.

There was no band there tonight. Live bands are only on Friday and Saturday nights.

We sat at a table at the end of the pier and drank our crème de menthes, and I fell in love with my wonderful wife all over again.

I swear to God, Bonaire is heaven on earth.