Dive Review of Captain Don's Habitat in
Bonaire

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Captain Don's Habitat: "Capt Don's Solo Diving adventure", Aug, 2017, by Patricia A. Sinclair, LA, US ( Top Contributor 31 reports with 10 Helpful votes). Report 10179 has 2 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	In late July I mangled to injure my lower back trying to save the life of a baby gecko that had somehow gotten into my home. My trip to Bonaire, already paid for was scheduled for 3 weeks after the injury. I was positive I would be able to dive and be totally healed by the time of the trip. Well, the lower back while better, was not in shape for a boat bumping against the dock in rocky water. So boat dives were out, as it made my back really hurt! My favorite DM (Nieto) was out of the water due to an injury and he suggested I shore dive. I thought as a single diver that was out for me, but he said I could solo dive, if I wanted to do so. Of course I would and did!!! So twice a day (sometimes 3 times), everyday, I met Nieto at the dock, he had my tank and gear already set up for me, I walked down the steps, sat down in the water and he brought the tank/bcd/reg to me, I geared up and dropped into the water. All my dives were 70 minutes or more and for 2 to 3 dives a day that was great. I had a wonderful time shore diving and I was able to find all the macro life I wanted and soon figured out where everything typically hang out I found 3 different octopus and just had a great time watching them. Lots of blennies, red lip blenny, roughhead, spiny head, sail fin and all the small shrimps and so many, many baby trunkfish on this trip. There were also the usual fish,sargent majors and their eggs (it was breeding season), grunts and tomtates were everywhere. I looked around for the seahorse I had been told existed down the wall a bit, but I never did find it, but t was fun looking. The navigation here is easy - follow the rope to the wall then go either left or right on the wall, return is just as easy. You can go over towards Buddy's resort and see the coral trees and usually there are schools of horse-eye jacks hanging around under the dive boats after the afternoon dives are done. My average dive was 35fsw, 75 minutes and I came back with at least half a tank of air every time. Food was good, I had the package which allowed dinner and breakfast every day. I don't eat lunch, as I am usually changing batteries for the camera, or lenses and ports out for afternoon shooting, etc. So the prepaid meal plan was great for me, and the food was wonderful. I had a fried whole snapper for dinner one night, it was fabulous. Most nights I had a glass of wine with dinner and as I was doing shore dives, I was able to linger over breakfast (or go a little late and avoid the crowds.) I intend to return to Bonaire again in 2019, and I will surely stay at Captain Don's again. The shore dive only route might be the best for me, as I can take my time and shoot what I want and just linger over the reef. I like that!
Websites	Captain Don's Habitat
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Jamaica, Bimini-Bahamas, Grand Bahamas Island, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, Roatan, St Eustatius, Florida, Florida Keys, Dumaguette-Philippines, Cebu-Philippines, Bonaire, Curacao
Closest Airport	Bonaire	Getting There	most American airlines fly there
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-86°F / 28-30°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	75-100 Ft/ 23-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	The only restrictions the dive boats put on you are no deeper than 110 fsw and restrict to 60 minute dives.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Not much in the way of places to set up the camera, though there was a camera bucket to rinse the camera after dives. I usually go dry when on the boat, that way my camera is not bounced around everywhere and knocked into the other divers' equipment.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Captain Don's Habitat in Bonaire

Captain Don's Habitat: "Capt Don's Solo Diving adventure", Aug, 2017,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Captain Don's Habitat in
Bonaire