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Stacy
Trip Date 02/26/2019 Posted On 04/13/2019 16:14:33 |
Destinations | Cruises | Bonaire | Kralendijk | Aqua Fun Bonaire | Shore Excursions in Bonaire | Snorkeling in Bonaire | Private Shore Excursions | Private Snorkeling Trips
After constantly hearing about the abundant underwater life, we knew we wanted to snorkel when our cruise ship spent part of one day docked in Kralendijk, Bonaire. Private snorkeling trips on the island seem to fill up fast however we did find two open spaces with Aqua Fun Bonaire. The 3 1/2 hour tour allowed us to join the owner, an avid diver, along with a small group on a private shore excursion which took us to two snorkeling spots.
Whether you're visiting the island destination while staying in a hotel or on board a cruise ship, you'll definitely want to check out available Bonaire shore excursions. If you are like many other water lovers, snorkeling in Bonaire will likely be at or near the top of your list. Take a look at this post for an introduction to a two-stop snorkel along with some photos and a description of our experience. Priced at just $55.00 USD per person, spending a part of your island time on an excursion with Aqua Fun Bonaire will surely be a highlight of any vacation.
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Introduction to Aqua Fun Bonaire's Two-Stop Snorkel Tour
After exploring and diving around the world for many years, Daniel's dream came true when he started Aqua Fun Bonaire about 1 1/2 years ago. Born in The Netherlands and a three year resident of Bonaire (a municipality of The Netherlands), Daniel now shares his water skills with visitors to the island known for its underwater world. Catering to smaller groups (10 or less), Aqua Fun Bonaire offers diving, snooba and snorkeling excursions, as well as combination or custom tours.The Two Stop Snorkel Tour is perfect for cruise ship travelers as the tour makes good use of the short time on the island. As is required with most water based excursions, passengers will be required to sign a waiver in exchange for receiving a mask, snorkel and fins. While onboard, you'll also learn a little about Bonaire, the easternmost destination in the ABC island chain.
The tour makes stops at two of the many popular reefs in Bonaire's Marine Park chosen based on current mooring availability in addition to water and wind conditions. Daniel and a dive assistant will take turns with one in the water to provide snorkeling assistance and the other on look-out from the boat along with anyone choosing to relax onboard. After each snorkel stop, you'll have more time to get to know your guides who will happily answer any of your questions. There's water and soft drinks available during the tour and even a light snack offered to boost your energy between snorkels.
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Transportation around Bonaire
Daniel waits for cruise ship passengers at the "Internet Sales Meeting Point" surrounded by retail shops just outside of the port. After walking a short distance together, you'll meet up with a pre-arranged taxi. A short six minute ride will take you to Harbour Village Marina where you'll again meet up with Daniel. It's at the marina where you'll also meet Daniel's assistant and board The Vitamin Sea.With a group of 10 passengers, the dual motor boat provides a comfortable ride. While the back benches are shaded for those wanting to limit exposure to the sun, the seating in front is awesome for those hoping to bronze. The boat is perfect for the ride to each snorkel stop and the return to shore as well as for those who choose to stay on board during one or both stops to relax.
Upon returning to the marina, Daniel will call for a taxi to return you to your starting point and he and his assistant will say their goodbyes. Of the four hour total tour time including transportation to and from the port, we spent almost exactly 3 1/2 hours either on the boat, in the water or walking along the beach.
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Andrea II
After a brief introduction and short safety presentation, we headed out into the beautiful water surrounding Bonaire. As the entire island is classified as a marine park, boats always attach to moorings rather than anchoring. With the Vitamin Sea moored at Andrea II, we spent about 35 minutes snorkeling in the crystal clear waters. Although both of our snorkel experiences on the island were enjoyable and very different, Scott and I preferred the wider variety of fish and coral that we encountered at this first stop.Daniel remained onboard during our first snorkel keeping a close eye on each of us. Larissa, his dive assistant, was in the water able to help anyone needing assistance.
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No Name Beach at Klein Bonaire
After drinks and a snack of brownie bites, Daniel started the engine of The Vitamin Sea and our journey continued to Klein Bonaire, also known as Little Bonaire. Transportation by boat is required to reach Klein Bonaire making it an intriguing spot for visitors to the island. After finding a place to moor, we hopped off the boat and swam / waded to the sands of No Name Beach. The perfectly white sand deceives many people into thinking that the beach is man-made, however it's not.With fins, mask and snorkel in our hands, Daniel led us on a walk alongside the turquoise blue water to our starting point. After reaching the place where we would begin our snorkel, we swam a short distance out until we crossed the wall of coral. From there, getting the distance back to the boat required much less effort than our walk - the water current did most of the work as we drifted alongside the wall.
Although one person in our group saw a large tarpin and Daniel spotted an eagle ray, Scott and I didn't have as much luck with sightings of cool fish. Unfortunately no one saw any of the seahorses for which Klein Bonaire is famous.
Including both the walk, drift snorkel back and wading / swimming to and from the boat, our total stop at No Name Beach was about one hour. Daniel stayed close to those needing assistance as we walked and snorkeled and Larissa accompanied a small group of passengers who chose to stay on the boat.
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The "WE Did It!" Evaluation
Priced at $55.00 USD per person, the 3 1/2 hour excursion with Aqua Fun Bonaire was both a fantastic and memorable experience for The Wordy Explorers. Communication from Daniel in the days leading up to the tour included all that we needed to know to both prepare for the day and easily find our meeting point. The boat ride was comfortable, the two snorkeling stops each provided for a unique experience and both Danial and Larissa were excellent hosts.The most comparable tour offered by Celebrity Cruise Lines was a 3 hour Double-Dip Snorkel tour priced at $79.75 USD per person described as:
"Hop aboard the locally famous Seacow for a journey to two of Bonaire's most spectacular snorkeling destinations. Enjoy a fun and relaxed atmosphere aboard the largely shaded boat where you will receive complimentary snorkel gear. You will be guided through the protected reef to discover an aquatic paradise teeming with tropical fish and coral formations. After the snorkeling, enjoy a rum punch compliments of the Seacow Captain, it's his own secret recipe."
While our excursion did not include alcoholic beverages, Daniel did offer water and a variety of soft drinks plus some brownie bites. We prefer smaller private tours when feasible, and the group of 12 was much smaller than most cruise ship tours. Best of all, the price of the Two Stop Snorkel was almost $50.00 less than the Celebrity Cruises offering for the two of us.
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Shopping at the Port of Kralendijk
If you enjoy port shopping, plan to devote at least a little of your extra time wandering through some of the retail stores near the port. Although we often pass on shopping, we decided to browse through a couple of the stores since we had about two hours before our all aboard time. Even though we are not the biggest of shoppers, we both found some souvenirs including hats and t-shirts that were reasonably priced "must-haves"!
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Grand Cayman
If you're planning to spend some time in George Town, Grand Cayman either on your own or while aboard a cruise, check out our recommendation for a fun-filled day. Titled Stingray City and Snorkeling in Grand Cayman with Captain Marvin's, you'll find an assortment of photos from our day plus all of the information that you'll need to make a reservation.Snorkeling in the Caribbean
If you had your choice of snorkeling at any of the Caribbean islands, which would you select and why?Total Fitbit steps: 14,440
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