Category Archives: Bonaire

Archuendro Finies is a native of Bonaire; and that right there says a quite a lot about him.   Naturally, he loves the water.  Bonaire is surrounded by lots of it, all of it clear, warm and inviting.  He loves sports, most of them, of course, having to do with water:  swimming, diving, snorkeling and windsurfing.  But, being that he is from Bonaire, he plays soccer, too.  He’s also good-natured, another inherent Bonairean trait.

Endro, as he’s known around Divi, started working at Flamingo Beach Resort last December as an intern with the dive operation.  He quickly progressed from trainee to dive master to dive instructor.  “Endro is an example of many youngsters on the island.  He has tremendous enthusiasm and passion for his work,” said dive operations manager Serge De Groote. When he’s not at Divi, you will find him at Sorobon at Lac Bay, on the opposite side of the island with many other windsurfing aficionados.

Sorobon provides an ideal combination of wind, water, sand and sun for windsurfing and the bay’s shape creates wind zones that make this the perfect practice ground for novices to champions.  Many tourists consider a trip over to Lac Bay part of a Bonaire vacation.  You’ll catch Endro gliding effortlessly across. He’s good.

It’s no surprise that he says windsurfing is his idea of a great time.  He’ll occasionally mix it up with cave snorkeling. Exploring the “lost world of Bonaire” helps him de-stress.  And, of course, he dives, always packing his ELF.  That’s a device for shooting lionfish, which are known reef eaters and also inflict a very nasty sting on humans.  (He can tell you.)  When he’s underwater enjoying Bonaire’s reefs, he’s working to protect them.

Endro says that what is important to him now is hitting all the goals he has put in front of him.  So, don’t be surprised to find him walking the grounds one day in the not too distant future – not in a wetsuit, but with a pin on his shirt that says,“Archuendro Finies, Assistant Manager, Divi Flamingo Beach Resort.”

If he can add something to Flamingo Beach Resort, he would add more activities.  Cave snorkeling anyone?  Let us know!  We’ve got the perfect guide.

Birds do it.  Bees do it.  Even educated fleas do it.  So goes the famous Cole Porter tune, “Let’s Do It.  Let’s Fall In Love.” The clever lyricist and composer of Broadway musicals back in the Twenties and Thirties also included many mentions of marine life in his 1928 hit, including “oysters down in Oyster Bay,” cold Cape Cod clams, jellyfish and even electric eels.  But he wrote nothing about coral.  But yes, coral do it.

And, sea urchins, sea stars, sea cucumbers, fire worms and other creatures of the sea off the coast of Bonaire.  And, on a pretty precise schedule, in fact.  The sea population around Bonaire positively explodes in August, September and October every year.

The national park foundation of Bonaire, known as STINAPA, not only posts the day of spawning for certain local species, it even predicts the hour. If you follow the coral spawning schedule  — and indeed many Bonaire divers do – the release of the schedule is cause for planning.  Dive trips to Bonaire in the fall months go beyond the normally fabulous to the absolutely extra special if they are timed to the coral spawning schedule.

This year, star coral will very likely be doing it between 9:40 and 10:40 at night on September 24^th through the 26th.  Flower coral start their spawning September 25 through the 28^th from 9:15 to midnight and again in October.  The experts in this say the timing is tied to the ninth full moon of the calendar year. Star coral and flower coral are joined in the ritual by sea urchins, sea stars, sponges, fire worms and Christmas tree worms at the same time in September and October, all in tune with the moon.

Must be something about that moonlight in Bonaire.

Divi Dive Bonaire, the on-site PADI dive center at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort leads dives during the spawning season.  Check the website for specials.

NOTE: See the Coral Spawn in Bonaire with Divi Flamingo

Once a year corals reproduce in a spectacular and synchronized event known as the coral spawn. For divers and snorkelers, witnessing this wonder of nature is a must-do and where better to do it than in the clear and tranquil waters of Bonaire? Boasting the best reefs of the Caribbean, Bonaire has a variety of spawning corals including the biggest players of the spawn, the mountainous star corals. Star corals, brain corals, flower corals and more spend most of the year preparing for the spawn and are often joined by sponges, worms and brittle stars in their annual reproductive event. Night diving and snorkeling in Bonaire is always an adventure with new things to discover, but the events you witness during the coral spawn will create memories to last a lifetime. This year the main spawning events are predicted to occur during September 24-27 and October 24-26. (To ensure that you get the most out of this experience) Divi Flamingo is offering coral spawning lectures on MONDAY September 23rd and October 22nd by marine biologist Caren Eckrich. These lectures are free to the public and will give divers and snorkelers an excellent understanding of the coral spawn, when to see it and what to look for. We hope to see you at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort for this year’s coral spawn.