Bonaire: Harmony is its Nature

1,000 Steps, Bonaire, Netherland Antilles

There is a quiet understated harmony about the southern Caribbean island of Bonaire.

Step off the prop plane from Curaçao and onto the runway of Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport, and the timeless feeling of this scarcely inhabited island is certain to capture the imagination of explorers at heart.


A soothing sense of tranquility can be felt in the warm breeze of the trade winds and in the pleasant welcome of the local Papiamientu greeting, “bon bini.” 


Come for the diving, windsurfing and birdwatching and you won’t be disappointed.


Bonaire is one of the gems of the Netherland Antilles, a string of islands situated off the north coast of Venezuela. Indications of the islands’ natural treasures can be found in the engravings of plants, birds and seashells that adorn the local currency, the Florin.

In the town of Kralendijk, the cultural infusion is seamless: the signature spring colors of Caribbean houses, garden-style Spanish patios and European roadways combine with the breezy, arid landscape to produce a warm, charming town.

The Bonaire Marine Park is comprised of a shallow reef just offshore that follows an underwater plateau until it reaches a drop-off.

The park’s management is widely recognized in the diving community for its pioneering efforts to preserve the reef over the last twenty-five years. These early efforts have resulted in a remarkable diversity of tropical fish making for excellent snorkeling and scuba diving.

Bright blue and yellow juvenile queen angelfishes rival the beauty of the more commonly seen parrotfish, which is named for its green, pink and yellow scales. Blue-green striped wrasses, silver and black jacks and navy and turquoise-speckled damselfish are easy to spot.

And, if the sea gods permit, an obscure seahorse may reveal itself among the branches of a gorgonion.

Colorful hard and soft corals including sponges and sea fans grace the ocean floor providing adequate resting grounds for many brightly colored juvenile fish. Expired coral has washed ashore creating beautiful sun-bleached coral beaches. But some words of caution: the coral can have rock-hard edges so wear protective footwear as you walk along the shoreline.

Sea turtle sightings are not entirely uncommon and the Sea Turtle Club of Bonaire requests visitors to send them details of their sighting by completing a form available at most dive shops.

Overall, there are sixty dive sites to choose from, many of which can be accessed easily from the beach.

Klein Bonaire is an uninhabited island off Bonaire’s lee shore and it offers another 24 sites that are accessible by boat. Warm water and excellent visibility make it easy to linger in the sea for hours at a time.

Warbler, Bonaire

As beautiful as the fish of the Caribbean Sea, are the birds that decorate the islands' skies. Bird watchers won’t have to watch long before catching a glimpse of the magnificent frigatebird whose striking long wingspan is reminiscent of the birds of yesteryear.

Yellow-breasted bananaquits are pretty little songbirds that sing whether it’s day or night. Keen and casual observers alike will spy yellow warblers, green and yellow Caribbean parakeets and stunning black, orange and white troupials.


The island’s sanctuary for pink flamingos is closed to the public but the elegant birds can be seen at various watering holes near the shallow turquoise waters of Lac Bay.

The trade winds that sweep the island create a world-class windsurfing spot in Lac Bay. Situated on the windward side of the island, the Bay is warm, shallow and windy.

Jibe City will cater to all your rental needs and offers a number of packages to suit various sailing levels. Work up an appetite and enjoy one of their delicious gourmet sandwiches and a cold beer in the shade of their patio bar. Their friendly service and unbeatable playground is a must for avid windsurfers and beginners alike.

If a warm and beautiful environment is your ticket to balance and harmony, Bonaire will be the place for you.

Octopus Colors (excerpt from the novel)

Elizabeth looked down at the dive computer velcroed to her wrist. Thirty-four, thirty-five feet...

Where is he? Damn it, he was just there. Second and last time, Ryan. Just wait ‘til we get back to the boat. God, does he think this is a game?

Practice buoyancy control, she reasoned, trying to calm down. Float, breathe and try to enjoy the sights.

She didn’t want to descend any further without locating him first and as near as she could tell, the sandy ocean floor was another thirty feet down.

Elizabeth could already feel the temperature difference without her dive skin. She thought he said there was a sand bar here.

She scanned the area for his bubbles amid the various rocky formations and passing fish but didn’t see him. High noon had cut her visibility slightly to about forty feet. He must be around here somewhere…

She checked her gauge again and this time made note of the time. They had anchored, pulled on their gear and launched from the Alyssa about 30 minutes ago.

Maybe I should start to head back. But, the scenery is so beautiful. She felt like she could drift there all day.
The undersea world of the Caribbean surrounded her with rays of downward stretching sunlight. It cut through the clear blue water illuminating the colors of nearby fish and danced on the rock formations that stretched up from the bottom of the sea.

Drifting there felt so natural that she wondered if it was like being in the womb, floating in a cavity beyond spatial comprehension, breathing in a body of water and listening to little other than the sound of your breath and the sound of your heart. Both of which were beginning to increase in pace.

Where did he go?

Her peripheral vision hampered by her mask, she looked above and below, then 360 degrees around her. No Ryan, no bubbles.

She carefully pulled her dive knife from its sheath on her arm and tapped her tank with it like she’d seen Ryan do before. Tap, tap, tap.

Even if he tapped in response she wouldn’t be able to determine from which direction it came. But, at least she would know he was somewhere out there. She quieted her breath by breathing in slowly and listened as the metallic sound of the knife's blade clinking the tank carried in every direction through the water.

Nothing.

She exhaled long and slow. Again, tap tap tap.

Listening. Silence. Exhaling, she heard nothing but the sound of her own regulator. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt very alone and vulnerable. Eyes scanning the area again.

Tap tap t…startled she dropped her knife. A little yellow and black striped fish darted past.

It’s just a fish, she reassured herself. Looking beneath her, she saw her knife drop further down through the water.

Her eyes darted around blurring the rocky walls and passing fish. Her breath quickened and she suddenly became conscious of hyperventilating on compressed air. Elizabeth’s mind was spinning and her breath became shorter.

Don’t panic, she told herself.

She could hear Ryan’s voice, “if you lose me, just go to the surface. Slowly. I’ll meet you there.” He must be there, she thought.

She took one more look around her at the serenity and the beauty of life in a different place and took in a deep, slow breath.

Suddenly, the tranquility seemed to mock her, as if she didn’t belong.

Turning her gaze upward, she kicked her fins and began to make her way toward the great light above. You’re right, she thought. This is like being born.


(Interested publishers, please inquire for the full manuscript.)