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 BONAIRE - THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES
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Roberto Ferrario
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Pictures:
Roberto Ferrario and Chris Morkos
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Bonaire is tiny small
island located more than 100 nautical miles North
Venezuelan coast. It is only 39 km long by 5 kilometers
wide, for a total of only 290 square kilometer size.
Bonaire, in case you don't know, is situated about 100
miles west of Los Roques and about that far North of the
northernmost coast of Venezuela. The flavor of the
island is definitely European. The people speak Dutch,
and the currency is Dutch, as is the beer.
There are resorts galore with the typical
spouse-pleasing services and activities, and the
snorkeling and diving around Bonaire rival anything in
Roatan or other Atlantic hot spots.
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Over the last two decades, Bonaire has consistently
ranked as the finest fishing destination in the
Caribbean. A major reason for this prominence is the
island's diligent stewardship of its marine resources,
all of the waters off Bonaire's coast have been legally
protected from heavy commercial fishing since 1979, and
it shows.
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 The Island of Bonaire is not as well known as its near
by neighbors in the Dutch Antilles (Aruba and Curacao)
which happen to be ports of call for cruise ships
sailing that part of the Caribbean. But Bonaire offers
all the vacation amenities her sister islands do, plus
the opportunity to fish miles of flats for unpressured
bonefish. Yes, miles of them. And, indeed, the bonefish
have currently seen little fishing pressure. The
surrounding sea also offers lots of oceanic predators.
But there is plenty more to do in Bonaire also for no
fishermen (wife and girlfriend). the beauty of its
semi-desert landscape is home to an outlandish
assortment of wildlife. Iguanas meditatively toast
themselves atop the desert rock formations of Washington
Slagbaai, while vast orange-pink clouds of flamingoes
drift across bone-white salt flats. Divi-divi trees bend
into surreal sculptures of the wind itself, and towering
cacti stand as reminders of the Caribbean's diverse
ecology.
BLUE WATER E FLATS OPTIONS
Most of the fish you hear about on Bonaire are the reef
fish which snorkelers and scuba divers see regularly.
But in the deeper water lurk the big game fishes Bonaire
sea from end of November to the end of April see the
migration of an huge amount of pelagic predators like:
blue Marlin, white Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna,
Wahoo, Dorado, spearfish, etc.
Bonaire is far only 53 miles from the world famous La
Guaira Bank where numerous world records are regularly
broken every year as big fish or for the high number of
fishes caught in a day. So around the island of Bonaire
you can find the same action you have in that Venezuelan
hot spot. The interesting difference is that in this
island the cost of a charter boat is cheaper than in
Venezuela; also you can find the action at only 1 mile
from the coast. Also, here the sea conditions are all
year enough rough because there are regular north west
wind.
Still, somehow Bonaire has managed to remain a truly
special kind of secret destination. The southeast of
Bonaire offers several square miles of premium
bonefishing grounds with shallow, crystal clear warm
water of only 1 meter maximum depth. On Bonaire,
bonefishing is all wading.
 Bonefishing here is 100 % safe, no sharks, no sea
urchins, no stinging jellyfish, no blister worms, no
eels, nor anything else to worry about! The hard, sandy
bottom affords very easy wading.
The average Bonefish weighs between 1 and 2 kilos,
although 3- to 4 kilos fish are regularly caught. The
largest bonefish ever caught seems to be over 6 kilos!
Permit range between 4 to 8 kilos average, with the
largest caught ever being over 15 kilos. Other fish are
also in the flats: ladyfish, grey snapper, barracuda,
and several other species. Bonefishing in Bonaire so
offers some great flats where you can fly or spin-fish
for tailing bone fish and spooking permit.
As for the bonefishing, the adventurous angler will be
able to find places to fish here on his own. Simply rent
a car and go South on the island's coastal road and you
will pass a number of salinas (salt pans) being using
for the production of salt, then a flamingo sanctuary.
Eventually, you will get beyond the no-trespassing signs
and find places where the road passes over culverts
leading to and from the Caribbean Sea. This is where you
find many square miles of flats fanning out from Bonaire.
These are hard, very wadeable flats that allow long
pleasurable wades. The habitat is basically untouched by
anglers.
Productive patterns for the bones here include Gotchas,
Baited Breath and pearì or tan Charlies. For variety,
there are also some tarpon at the entrance of a place
called Lac Bay, plus backcountry mangroves of the
interior offer some snook, baby tarpon and more bonefish.
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GUIDED FISHING IN BONAIRE
Anglers who don't have the time or inclination to
explore fishing spots on their own may want to book
local guide Chirs Morkos. About 30 years ago, Captain
Chris Morkos discovered that there was great bonefishing
on Bonaire. On this island he is considered like a
legend. Through the ensuing years he has guided just
about everyone from around the world who is even
remotely connected to the sport of big game and
bonefishing.
Captain Chris is a native Bonairean, and he has been
fishing Bonaire's waters for over 30 years now. He
consistently enjoys the highest average catch of all
fishing boats, and has multiple tournament wins in both
local and international competitions. Chris was
Bonaire's first charter captain, and he has kept up to
date with the latest improvements. Captain Chris is a
member of the organizing committee and jury of the
annual International Marlin Tournament on Bonaire, and
he is also a member of the International Game Fish
Association (IGFA).
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Capt. Chris boat is proud to hold all local records for
all types of game fish: Blue Marlin, White Marlin,
Sailfish, Atlantic Spearfish, Dolphin fish, Wahoo, King
fish, Yellow Fin Tuna, and Black Fin Tuna. Additionally,
Capt. Chris has released more billfish than all boats
combined!
His boat, the M.V. Piscatur is a 42' Twin Turbo Diesel
Fishing Machine, tournament rigged, and carries Penn
International, full electronics, the best lures,
downriggers, lots of gadgets, electric reel, and many
more toys. M.V. Piscatur is the largest fishing boat
available on Bonaire.; the boat is custom-built with
fishing in mind.
Powered by two Perkins engines, she will keep pace with
most schools of 200-pound tuna. Within minutes from the
docks you are fishing for big game in Bonaire's deep
blue waters, which are just off the world-famous La
Guaira Bank of Venezuela.
Captain Chris also discovered and developed bonefishing
on Bonaire and to date has been Bonaire's only guide for
30 years.
USEFUL INFORMATION
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How to reach it: The island of Bonaire can be reached
with a KLM direct flight from Amsterdam airport (Holland).
It takes 9 hours.
Documents: Passport. No visa is request for tourist
trips.
Language: Papiamentu (local language), Dutch, English
and Spanish.
Accommodations: In Bonaire there are several kinds
of accommodations; you can stay in a hotel (very
small), rent a room in a diving centre or rent an
apartment, that it is the best and cheapest option. You
can find an apartment for 2 people at less than 50 euro
per day. You can find all the information on the web
site listed below. During my trip I stayed at the
Wannadive Hut, a diving centre a few minutes by car from
the Capital. It was very rustic but clean and
inexpensive.
Restaurants: Besides great accommodations, Bonaire also
has a selection of excellent restaurant of all prices.
Places I comfortably recommend include The City
Café, Kontoiki Beach Club, The Beefeater, Donna & Giorgio restaurant.
Car: Renting a car is essential on Bonaire and to do it you
can choose well-known operators like Avis, Hertz, Budget,
but there are also some local operators that rent cars
at better prices.
Climate/Weather:The average air temperature is 30ºC
and 75% relative humidity. Average water temperature is
29ºC.
Currency: The Netherlands Antilles Guilder (NAFl). At the present time 1 Guider is about 0,50 euro. US dollars,
traveler's checks and credit cards are widely accepted.
Electricity: 127 volt, 50 cycle. 220 volt is also
available at some resorts. Most U.S. appliances will
work, however a bit hotter.
Diving: Bonaire is one of the best hot spots for divers.
Bonaire's pristine reefs and diverse marine life are
unique to the Caribbean. The waters are exceptionally
clear of silt, calm, and divable year round. Water
temperatures average a warm 25-28°C, with visibility
averaging over 30m, and frequently reaching up to 50m.
One of the Bonaire Marine Park Regulations is for all
visitors to do a check-out dive as part of the briefing
process before taking off on their own to shore dive or
going on a dive boat. Also, every diver on Bonaire must
purchase a Marine Park Tag valid for one calendar year.
Orientation procedures vary from dive center to dive
center, so it's a good idea to check in early. The cost
of the tag is US$10, and proceeds help support park
management and services.
Departure Tax: International departure tax is 18 Euro (US$20)
per person (2006), payable at the departure airport gate.
It is not included in your airline ticket but some
tour companies might include it.
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CONTACT
The Bonaire Toursim office in Europe is:
Basis Communicatie B.V.
Mariettahof 25-29
P.O. Box 472
NL-2000 AL Haarlem
The Netherlands
Fax: 31 (0)23 5430 730
email: europe@tourismbonaire.com
For general information and also for information about
fishing check:
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