Diving Bari Reef Bonaire | The Shore Dive Collection | TropicLens - 4K

UPDATE - This new version contains updated information about the pier use in the Site Logistics section.
Bari Reef was so much fun…that Leslie actually came for a night dive! It started with some terrific shallows which are rocky near the shore, but transition to a large swath of clean sand dotted with boat moorings. There are piers to the right and left that have lots of sea life followed by a very nice drop off to the reef. There was a big resort being constructed to the left which slightly impacted the approach, parking and entry, but you can still get there fairly easily. When that completes, we will update the video.
We had five first time captures for us including a flame box crab crawling in open sand, a two-spine star (also crawling in open sand, but at night), a couple of night sergeants, a whitefin sharksucker attached to a tarpon and a quill worm…which was very interesting. There were also day and night octopus out hunting and a frogfish!
Let us know what you saw there in the Comments below. We would love to hear about your sightings!
Chapters:
0:00 Update Information
0:17 Intro
0:45 Site Background/Description
3:43 Site Logistics
6:28 Dive Profile
10:13 Sea Life
12:50 Night Diving

[@davesdigitalnomadlife]

Great video showcasing a great place to dive! Love your smiley faces!!!

[@TropicLens]

Thanks (again) Dave. When we get back to Bonaire, we will update the Bari Reef video as the Chogogo resort is finished and we haven't yet seen how that impacted the Bari Reef entry. Hope its still (relatively) easy. :-)

[@jonnieinbangkok]

Very nice...thanks for sharing ☺

[@TropicLens]

Thanks Jonnie!

[@SpencerPhotography]

I cant tell you how much I appreciate these vids! We are on our way to Bonaire soon. Thank you so much!

[@TropicLens]

Thank you for the kind words. We're glad you enjoy them, but probably not as much as we enjoy making them! :-) We've made our triumphant return to Bonaire, so new videos are on their way. Corporal Meiss next Sunday.

[@sherrym2337]

You are just the best out there! So glad we discovered your videos. Can't wait to binge watch them all. Just as good as National Geographic!

[@TropicLens]

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words! 😀 National Geographic might be a stretch; but as we look back a year at our first videos, they are getting better. Three more Bonaire videos (for this trip) and then it’s on to Grand Cayman! Glad you enjoy them.

[@sherrym2337]

@@TropicLens would love to see some video for Roatan if you ever get that way. We have seen some pretty spectacular coral and creatures there. By the way, thank you so much for calling out people who touch. Hurts me to see that and it’s just increasing every year. Wish people would take these buoyancy courses and respect nature. One more thing….an ostracod video would be sensational! Have never seen a really good one. Enjoy Cayman!

[@TropicLens]

Wow, ostracods might be out of reach. :-( As evidenced by other videos, they are very small and many cameras do not really pick them up well. Will try again when I get the iPhone 13 over the holidays and keep you posted. As for Roatan, that is on our bucket list, but probably not for a few years. The first half of 2022 will be Curaçao and then back to Bonaire in June where we hope to get residency. Once we have a base, we will chart other islands.

[@sherrym2337]

@@TropicLens highly recommend iPhone 13! Stay in touch for a Roatan tour! Will keep watching for the ostracod video.

[@sosmra]

The clarity is awesome, also thanks for the land pictures love to own one of those condos going up

[@TropicLens]

Glad you enjoyed the video Sosmra. You may (or may not) be in the minority with respect to the resort. We've received several comments about how "different" it looks from most other architecture on the island. That said, it will have a lazy river and who doesn't like those? :-)

[@cryptojihadi265]

How deep was the Frogfish? That and a Sea Horse are the only two left on my bucket list.

[@TropicLens]

Unfortunately, we don't remember as that was quite a while back...and it's probably moved on since then. That said, when you get on the island, we suggesting getting a local guide. (Go With Jo Diving is excellent for critters!). Since they dive almost every day and hit most of the dive sites, they know where the special animals are. :-) Happy hunting!

[@erjtej]

We always stay @Den Laman or Sand Dollar and use Dive Friends so Bari Reef is the go-to of dives while we're there. We'll be there in a week! Can't wait! Thank you!

[@TropicLens]

You are lucky to have such a great house reef, Terri. Safe travels! Let us know if you see anything particularly outstanding there.

[@tobiasmichels8179]

Unfortunately in 2024 you cannot reach the divesite anymore from the beach, as now there is a new big construction area blocking the access to waterline….again another dive site is lost on Bonaire 😢

[@TropicLens]

Thank you for the update Tobias. We've been off Bonaire for a few months so we haven't seen the progress on the construction at Sunset Beach. It sounds like they haven't completed their work; but hopefully it should finish at some point this year. They've been at it for quite a while. :-(

[@AndrewB_88]

Which island do you like more for diving. Curacao or bonaire?

[@TropicLens]

Hi Andrew. Sorry for the delay. We've had a bit of a life detour these last few months, but things appear to be on track now (knock on wood) and our triumphant return to Bonaire will be in December. We will also jump from there to Curaçao at some point in 2023 as well. We enjoy both islands, but there are some distinct differences. Generally, there are many more sandy beaches and (very) easy entrances in Curaçao. Also, quite a few are supported by on site creature comforts. There are also more wrecks. That said, it is a much larger island so it can take a while to get from one end of the island to the other. It also has a much more urban feel with lots of traffic and navigation can be challenging without a GPS. Bonaire has more dive sites, but the island has a pretty consistent rocky shelf near the shore which makes a lot of the entries a bit more challenging than just walking in from a sandy beach. There are other videos touting folding walking sticks to help with entries. That isn't meant to scare you off. Leslie and I are retired (older) and can navigate most entries just fine. We love Bonaire diving so much we are building a house. The island vibe on Bonaire is much more laid back as well. Keep in mind, these are just our opinions and there are lots of divers that vigorously defend/promote one island over the other. We really love diving both islands. Hopefully, our other videos will give you a taste of each island from a diving perspective. Let us know if you have any other questions or would like some elaboration.