Diving Bonaire's Restricted Reserve ep 22 | A Diver's Life

Hey,
Welcome! Diving Bonaire's Restricted Reserve ep 22 | A Diver's Life
Pristine, critically endangered coral like few have ever seen! Come with us as we take you into Bonaire's restricted Willem Alexander Reserve. Largely untouched and unseen by humans for over 40 years, it is one of two restricted reserves on the island. Yet, STINAPA, Bonaire's National Marine Park association, has granted us 3 dives to film this international treasure. Imagine seeing pristine, critically endangered, elkhorn coral as well as areas where coral coverage is 90%. You will see how marine conservation has produced a, truly magical, coral garden rich in life, which we must continue to preserve for future generations. We will visit this amazing reserve in the day and at night. Yes at night! Nobody has filmed this place at night! To ensure we don’t harm the coral by a night shore entry, we will make the night dive by entering from the sea with a drop from the boat in 140 feet of water, near dark, well away from the reef and swim in.
How does this area compare to other places you have visited? How rich is the coral? What is the impact of lionfish on a restricted area?
It is likely this is the first time any of you will ever experience this rare and beautiful part of Bonaire.
==== Chapters ====
0:00 Drive By Willem Alexander Reserve
1:55 Monologue - Diving the Reserve
3:31 A Diver's Life Intro Theme
4:31 A Coral Wonderland
6:12 The Wall
7:07 Action on the Sand Channel Drop Off
8:21 Cruising the Drop Off
10:15 Let's Pick Up the Pace
11:20 Let's Go Down the Wall
12:14 The Shallow Coral Garden and Park History
14:31 Tolo to Bloodlet
13:40 Heading to the Reserve at Night
15:45 Dusk approach from the sea
17:04 The Coral Garden at Night
18:50 Lionfish Come Out
19:36 The Colors Come Out
21:47 A large Southern Ray
=====
Special Thanks:
We would like to thank STINAPA for granting us access to the Willem Alexander Reserve to make this video for you. We would also like to thank Rick Davis for taking us out to film the reserve at night and Bob Burks for crewing the boat.
To subscribe to the channel go here and hit subscribe:
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Cast:
Bob Burks
Rick Davis
Rich Schwertfeger
Doreen Schwerdtfeger
Cinematography, script, editing - Rich Schwerdtfeger
Filming Doreen and I on the boat - Bob Burks
Camera Equipment:
Big Blue 15,000 lumen lights
Panasonic GH5s with Nauticam housing
GoPro8 for some above water shots
Music:
A Brand New Tomorrow - Kikoru Epidemic Sound
Bedtime for Babies - Claude Signet Epidemic Sound
Blue - Eklo feat. Jordin Laine (RFM youtube)
Here’s Hoping - Fabien Tell Epidemic Sound
Hope Whispers - Johannes Bornlōf Epidemic Sound
Never Losing Hope - Kikoru Epidemic Sound
Once Upone a Lifetime - Philip Ayers Epidemic Sound
Rebirth of Earth - Phoenix Tall Epidemic Sound
Views From the Other Side - Magnus Ringblom Epidemic Sound
Walk Tall - Johannes Bornlōf Epidemic Sound
#oceanconservation #bonairediving #bonaire

[@Juscz]

Just AMAZING! Thanks again, Rich. These coral documentaries are second to none.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you! This reserve is very special.

[@aubreycasler2705]

Beautiful, No human impact has caused probably the most beautiful reef in Bonaire

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you Aubrey. We agree. It really is a treasure.

[@boglefish]

Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing

[@ADiversLife]

You are most welcome. We are glad you like it. We really appreciate this wonderful feedback.

[@MrVerno1960]

Awesome video, must have been what it looked like when Cap. Don first came to the island. I hope they never allow general access to these area's except for someone like you all that know how to have zero impact on the reef. Visited Bonaire 12 times and it never gets old. Thanks for what you do to show us the beauty of the underwater world.

[@ADiversLife]

They will likely never allow general access here.

[@ChrisOjustWatchingTheTube]

Thanks for sharing what few get to see. Time to get approved for some lion fish hunting in there!!

[@ADiversLife]

You are very welcome!

[@ADiversLife]

You are very welcome Chris!

[@johnricketts6102]

Thank you for another excellent video..... 2 weeks a year is just not enough....I need to live there!

[@ADiversLife]

If you can, spend 2 months here and give it a go. If you don’t want to leave after that you are good to go.

[@lorrainegurney3365]

Beautiful. Thank-you.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you. You are most welcome!

[@Retired-nohurry]

Great video. Thanks for posting

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you Curt!

[@yolanheering7681]

Such a delight, this beauty, unspoiled & pure. A rare nature's garden, thanks to prohibition to enter, dive & interfere. It should stay this way, human interference has already created so many devastation & destruction of animal habitat all over the world. Let's cherish those few unspoiled areas. Thanks again for the beautifull footage, very much appreciated. Warm regards from The Netherlands.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you Yolan for your thoughtful response.

[@bill2292]

Spectacular! Thank you for sharing. Your videography is exceptional.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you Bill!

[@michaelpement9413]

Good job Rich. I especially appreciated the critter and coral identification and the choice of music. This video reminds us of the reasons we love Bonaire.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you Michael!

[@ADiversLife]

This is now the first KZbin video in history to support Papiamento subtitles.

[@Adamsonsilutan]

Beautiful🥰

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you

[@mybanditboxer]

Thank you for allowing this viewer to learn and enjoy this beautiful and relaxing underwater world. The music and commentary was excellent and informative.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you so much! Comments like this make our day.

[@erjtej]

Thank you for allowing us to live through these magnificent videos, hope to be able to dive Bonaire again soon! And sincere gratitude to STINAPA!

[@ADiversLife]

You are very welcome Terry. Direct flights open up to Bonaire in June. We are at code yellow and seem to have covid well under control here. Over half the island has been vaccinated - I think twice.

[@erjtej]

@@ADiversLife I saw that (direct flights beginning in June)... we have travel credit we’re dying to use, from early 2020...hoping to make it in early fall. 💙 we continue to hungrily watch your videos!

[@ADiversLife]

We just dropped to level 2 from 3. Things are improving.

[@thefreelands1283]

Absolutely beautiful. Thank you for capturing and sharing this.

[@ADiversLife]

You are very welcome.

[@eajmvdeventuin]

Another beautiful video Rich and team. And I'm glad you got permission to film here.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you!

[@ianclowes6965]

We miss Bonaire and were regular visitors for 15 years, I stopped diving 2 years ago, after a sinus barotrauma descending on a plane from California into London, and miss it terribly. Good luck with your diving and we always hope to return in future (once my sinuses are healed and we are allowed to travel safely again). Thank you for sharing your diving life on Bonaire, brings a tear to my eye remembering all the wonderful dives we have done there and the island life...

[@ADiversLife]

Ian, thank you so much for the kind words. I am so sorry about your sinuses. Let's hope they heal quickly. Staying away from the sea is very hard when that is where you feel at home. Thank you for commenting. We enjoy talking to our viewers.

[@ango2794]

Absolutely gorgeous footage with highly informative commentary. Loved every minute, thanks for sharing

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you!

[@rgorji]

Great video; thanks for sharing with the rest of us. Hopefully Bonaire will open soon and we can visit it once again.

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you! You are in luck. We went dropped to level 2 today and direct flights start arriving June 4. Restaurants can now be full up. The vaccination have been successful on Bonaire.

[@rgorji]

@@ADiversLife WOW. Thank you. Great News.

[@ctsean]

great video - really need to get back there as soon as possible. Looks like it's time for another lionfish derby

[@ADiversLife]

It is time and thank you!

[@rijmenammerart1100]

hello there, after visiting bonaire in the '90, is stil have some HI8 tapes diving there , also the wrek really close to bopec i have on tape, visited several times.... ow it is a beautiful place 👌 greetings from belgium

[@ADiversLife]

Hi Andre, I dove the Windjammer in the 90s too. It was an amazing wreck dive back then

[@karenmcnamara854]

Thank you for sharing your great video. So nice to watch a well done film with nice choice of music, especially when off island. I have to admit I was insanely jealous to hear you were doing this and felt like I was missing out not being allowed to dive there. I am saddened to see broken coral from carless divers and kite surfers on popular dive sites, so I very much appreciate there being such a reserve. I am delighted to say that I've been fortunate to dive many sites on Bonaire that offer just as much beauty and fantastic coral as you've shown. The fish are beautiful and typical of what we see on Bonaire. You've done a marvelous job filming this special place and hopefully can inspire divers to be more careful. It is wonderful to see coral that has not been stomped on. Thank you!!

[@ADiversLife]

Karen, you are very welcome and thank you for this thoughtful comment. We have a beautiful island and yes there are many other dive sites that show such beauty. The reef between Willemstorem lighthouse and Red Slave is one that is absolutely spectacular. There are others and more to explore and film.

[@scottbauerbelow]

That has to be the most immaculate coral reef in the Caribbean, really enjoying this content!

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you! It is an amazing spot.

[@richardfisher4638]

Thanks so much for the video. I don't want to be negative but I've seen other videos that shows a lot of close ups. That would have been a lot nicer. Looking forward to more videos.

[@ADiversLife]

Yes. At that time we did not have a macro lens. As you have noticed we do now. It makes a big difference. Thanks for watching!

[@ronjansen3092]

Great footage Rich, thanks for sharing!

[@ADiversLife]

You are most welcome

[@KevinandLizGrogan]

I’ve always wondered… Congrats, and thanks for sharing!!

[@ADiversLife]

Thank you. You are most welcome.

[@CarneyFelonLawyer]

Quite different than the beat-down sites heavily used by divers.

[@ADiversLife]

Yes it is. Thank you for watching Dennis. Take a look at our video, the Sun Worshipers, if you think this place is amazing.

[@TheNicintime]

The beauty and health of the Coral is particularly seen in the shallows, which makes sense given diver and snorkeler and swimmer interaction will be greater there. The deeper areas it's not as much?

[@ADiversLife]

Well it is different coral. Well, there is also more water circulation and sun which are better conditions for coral growth and health in the shallows.

[@Chogogo717]

Watching more of your night videos I can definitely say I’d live it if you did a tech segment in your gear and how you set it up. I always wondered what it looked like down every time we would drive by that site.

[@ADiversLife]

Thinking of adding that to one of my upcoming videos, including dive planning

[@ADiversLife]

We added KZbin Chapters to help you to jump to your favorite parts

[@bs9692]

I was wondering about the ratio of prey to predators, apart from the invasive lionfish there didn't seem to be many reasonable sized predators on the reef. In the intro you mentioned a lionfish cull, was that a one of or is it a regular event?

[@ADiversLife]

It is not a regular event. They have had 2-3 that I know of but they do truly try to keep people out of the reserve. as for predators I guess that is where you sit in the food chain. There were jacks, tarpon, etc. which is like the rest of Bonaire. etc. We saw no sharks or marine mammals but there was not a lot of current. Covid has prohibited any lionfish derby’s for some time. I was part of the team that won the last derby and that was 3 years ago. Although there were a number of Lionfish, I was pleased to see that the place was not overrun. I think a few visits by some of the Bonaire hunters would take care of the reserve for a while. It is unfortunate we have to cull them. They are quite beautiful.

[@ADiversLife]

I filmed this short video on a safety stop in our last Bonaire lionfish derby: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnbaeniQqa6gnrs

[@ADiversLife]

Sorry surface interval

[@bs9692]

@@ADiversLife I agree they are beautiful and love seeing them in the Red Sea, not so much on the couple of trips I have had to the Caribbean. Dive guide in Barbados speared everyone he saw, but the guides in Cuba wanted to show them off. Then again they also got a puffer fish to puff up, I said I would rather they didn't do things like that for me.

[@ADiversLife]

@@bs9692 I really enjoyed filming them. Their colors were especially beautiful at night.

[@ADiversLife]

If you liked this video and would like to be notified when more content is released please go here to subscribe: kzbin.info

[@johnleatherwood2591]

Amazing, I had no idea there were shore dives of this magnitude, splendor is the best way to describe it. Amazing. Now, go kill those lion fish, seriously.

[@ADiversLife]

Yeah, we are speaking to the marine park director about that. She knows it needs to be addressed in the reserve.