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PRACTICAL

Nature Tag, car, water and care

The four things almost every question is about. Amounts and rules change, so check them with the authority itself.

NATURE TAG

What you pay to enter the water

DivingUS$ 40 per calendar year, per person. Since 2023 one flat rate for divers, snorkellers and swimmers.
Other watersportsSame $ 40 rate; children up to 12 free. Covers snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing and swimming away from the beach.
WhereOnline from STINAPA or at your dive school’s desk. You get a numbered tag; keep the receipt.
EnforcementPark rangers check along the coast and on the water. No tag means a fine, first time included.
Where the money goesSTINAPA runs the marine park and Washington Slagbaai and lives largely on this income.

Rates change. Check the amount with STINAPA before you book; we quote the amount we last saw at the desk ourselves.

CAR

Why almost everyone rents a pick-up

Why a pick-upTanks go in the back, wet and heavy, outside the cab. Almost every dive school and rental company assumes it.
Unpaved roadsThe north and the park are unpaved. After rain the holes are deep; drive slowly and keep off the edge.
InsuranceMany contracts exclude damage on unpaved roads. Read that clause before you drive into Washington Slagbaai.
On the roadDonkeys and goats roam loose in the south. Drive at walking pace at night where they stand; they will not move for your headlights.
FuelYou often pay first, and sometimes only by card or cash. Keep some dollars on hand.

Bonaire drives on the right, 60 km/h outside built-up areas and 40 within. Enforcement does happen.

WATER

Tap water, heat and sunlight

Tap waterDesalinated seawater, safe to drink and of good quality. Buying bottled water here is mostly buying waste.
RefillingBring a bottle; most dive shops and accommodations have a filling point.
DehydrationWind masks how much you lose. Drink before a dive, not only after.
SunscreenProducts with oxybenzone or octinoxate are banned. A long-sleeved shirt works better and protects the reef.
CARE

What is there if it goes wrong

HospitalFundashon Mariadal in Kralendijk, with an emergency department and a hyperbaric chamber.
Emergency number911 for emergencies. Say it is a diving accident and the call goes straight to the right service.
Hyperbaric chamberPresent on the island, but not always staffed. Do not treat it as a licence for an aggressive profile.
InsuranceCheck whether diving is covered and to what depth. A separate dive insurance is usual here.
Flying after divingLeave at least eighteen hours between your last dive and the flight; plan the final day as a land day.

This is not medical advice. Decisions on fitness to dive and health belong with a doctor or a dive instructor.

SOURCES
  1. STINAPA, Nature Fee rates and conditions
  2. Public Entity Bonaire, traffic rules and road management
  3. Water and Energy Company Bonaire (WEB), drinking water quality
  4. Fundashon Mariadal, emergency care and hyperbaric treatment
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