Bonaire Marine Park Drift Snorkeling Trip with 2 Stops

Bonaire National Marine Park

Bonaire National Marine Park was created in 1979 and protects all the waters around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, from the shoreline down to a depth of about 60 metres. It is one of the oldest marine reserves in the Caribbean, and thanks to decades of protection, its fringing reefs start just metres from the shore and are among the healthiest in the region.

Every visitor who snorkels or swims in the park needs the yearly nature fee, often called the nature tag; cruise guests are exempt, while island guests buy it online or on the island before the tour. The fee supports the rangers and reef research. If you are looking for the best snorkelling in Bonaire, the marine park is the reason the island is famous, and this trip takes you to two of its finest spots.

Klein Bonaire reefs

Klein Bonaire is a small, flat and uninhabited island lying less than a kilometre off Kralendijk. It has no buildings and no roads, only dry scrub, white beaches where turtles nest, and a ring of reef that has been protected for years. Because no one lives there, the coral is in pristine condition, with brain coral, sea fans and elkhorn branches on a gentle slope.

Here you drift snorkel: the boat drops you up-current and you float slowly with the water along the reef, while the boat follows and picks you up further along. Your guide acts as an underwater spotter, finding camouflaged octopuses, scorpionfish and, with luck, seahorses, as well as the sea turtles that feed on the reef. Klein Bonaire snorkelling is easy, relaxing and spectacular.

Second stop on Bonaire's main coast

After a break on board with cold drinks and snacks, the boat moves to a second, carefully chosen location along the west coast of Bonaire itself. Each day is different, as the crew picks the spot with the clearest water and calmest sea, so you always get the best conditions available on the day.

Bonaire's leeward coast is sheltered from the trade winds, so the sea here is usually flat and visibility is excellent. Schools of blue tangs, sergeant majors and parrotfish move over the reef, and eagle rays sometimes glide past along the drop-off. Again you have at least an hour in the water. Between sessions you can rest in the shade on deck, and flotation belts and noodles are there for anyone who wants extra support.

Kralendijk and the harbour

Kralendijk is the small capital of Bonaire, a special municipality of the Netherlands, with pastel-coloured Dutch Caribbean buildings along a waterfront facing Klein Bonaire. The trip starts at a marina just north of the town centre for island guests, while cruise passengers are met at the exit of the cruise pier by a guide in a blue T-shirt holding a sign with your name.

Departures are at 9:00, 13:00 and 14:00 local time; cruise guests should check that this is not ship time. The whole trip takes about three and a half hours. Bring a towel, a T-shirt for sun protection in the water and reef-safe sunscreen. Things to do in Kralendijk centre around the sea, and this snorkelling trip is the easiest way to enjoy it in one morning or afternoon.