Dive Review of Captain Don's Habitat in
Bonaire

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Captain Don's Habitat, Jun, 2008, by Marcio Cardoso, TX, USA ( 1 report). Report 4168.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We rented a pick-up for the week with Budget at the airport. Everything went OK, but I was uneasy with their CDW insurance policy that still puts the renter on the hook for the first $300 in damages. Pay a lot of attention to the initial inspection and make sure that they add every dent on the report (there will be many). Keep the yellow paper with you. Insurance does not cover incidents at the Washington park. Not sure if other rental firms offer better terms. On the positive side with Budget, we had a "stuck on the sand" episode close to Margate Bay, called 911 and the Budget pick-up arrived in less than 30 minutes. By then the car was already free, but Budget did not charge anything extra for their visit. We stayed on ocean-front suite, I looked at the online resort map and requested the room in advance while booking. Room is OK but is simple and a bit aged. Looks like a typical beach house of the 1980s. No frills but functional, I appreciated the plentiful hot water in the shower and the spacious safe on the room. Small TV with USA cable channels. Cleanliness looked good, but we suspect there were bedbugs. View of the oceanfront Habitat is sensational. Spectacular sunsets and the gentle breeze is a delight. Good swimming pool. We felt good on the resort and chose to have most of our meals at the local restaurant. Diving freedom is still alive and well at the Habitat. Only requirements are attending 30-minute orientation and paying the $25 marine park fee prior to the first diving. They also ask for no dive within 18 hours of departure. Other than that, it is pretty much "here are the tanks, the reef is over there... have a nice dive!" which is exactly what I was looking for. I did not try the boat dives, I would expect them to set bottom-time limits since the boats run on a tight schedule. Divers have to pay for Nitrox extra - I went for the unlimited weekly and it was a decent deal. Staff at the dive shop and front-desk will not smile and ask how you are doing, but if you ask for rentals and how the operation works, you will get what you need to go and explore the island. The dive in front of the Habitat is very good. After a 3-minute swim from the dock you are on top of a nice wall, thick in coral, that goes all the way to 130 ft. Shore-Diving in Bonaire is exhilarating due to the freedom and pretty reefs. I loved the experience but there is a learning curve. I found the sites south of the Salt Pier (Margate Bay, Red Beryl) to offer a winning combination of ease of entry and good reefs. Coral and sponges are still healthy but it all can change in the near future, as rampant development in the island will bring extra sewage to the shores. Diversity of marine life is impressive but, as it has been said often, not much on large fish. Other than Tarpons, a solitary Eagle Ray and a school of Rainbow Parrotfish, I did not see anything over 2 1/2 feet... even the barracuda and the 3 hawksbill turtle were small. One would expect that, after 30 years of no-fishing at the marine park, the groupers and hogfish would find its way into the wonderful reefs. Any ideas on why is the case? All in all, I loved the shore diving in Bonaire and I plan to return to the island and stay at Habitat. Feel free to write me at bonaire@diveflick.com.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Bahamas, Cuba, Fiji, Tonga, Sea of Cortez, Brazil, California, Cocos (Cost Rica), Hawaii, Florida Keys
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, no currents
Water Temp	76-80°F / 24-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Shore diving in Bonaire at the Habitat is truly diving freedom. No restrictions (or supervision) whatsoever for shore diving. I did not try the boat diving.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Habitat does not have much space dedicated for UWP but there are plenty of table space in the locker room to work on your rig, if necessary. They do have a large water bucket for "cameras only". There is a underwater photo shop on the resort so UWP might ask them for support and resources.

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Dive Review of Captain Don's Habitat in Bonaire

Captain Don's Habitat, Jun, 2008,

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