Bonaire Day 5

Today was another full day. David, Chris, Nik and I got up early to head to Salt Pier for a dive. Ashley sat this dive out as she needed to teach an English class. I went along to snorkel above the divers. The beach entry was fun! It was a bit rough and challenging to get my fins on while dodging waves but I managed. As soon as we put our masks on and began to swim out, we saw 4 turtles! It was awesome and such fun to watch them forage for seagrass and occasionally come up for air. I followed David, Nik and Chris for a bit and then decided I did not want to risk getting tangled up in the pylons of the many piers. The further out I went the smoother the water was. Approximately 200 yards off the beach there were MANY diverse corals and fish to see. I saw the following:

• 4 more turtles for a total of 8.

• 12 brown spotted Caribbean reef squid

• many barracuda

• trumpet fish

• Several types of parrot fish

• angel fish, and

• many other fish species.

It was amazing and the hour passed so quickly. We switched out the air tanks at the dive shop and then headed home. After some brief leisure time, we decided to take a trip to the Donkey Sanctuary. Mariana Melis and Ed Koopman established the Donkey Sanctuary in 1993. They rescue wild and injured donkeys from the island. Donkeys have been living on Bonaire since the 17th century. They were brought over and used to carry salt, supplies and other items. Once technology advanced the donkeys were placed with machines. No longer needed for labor, they were turned loose on the island. The current population at the sanctuary is 793 donkeys with approximately 1 donkey a week rescued and added to that number. We saw a 4 day old donkey named Ryder who was born the day we flew into Bonaire. He was so spunky and precious.

The donkeys are used to visitors feeding them carrots so they are a bit pushy when they see cars. We had a few minor run ins: I was getting nipped and bit at with a particularly aggressive donkey and as I moved to the back of the truck I ripped my shorts. (Yes, I was in the bed of the truck with Michelle and Ashley). For some reason we all got out of our cars and walked around with the donkeys for a bit. Emma received a push from 3 donkeys and was knocked down but popped up immediately. Fortunately there were no injuries and she has another fun story to share. We also saw flamingos and turtles.

Michelle and I made spaghetti and garlic bread so David, Nikki, Chris and Ashley could eat before heading out to their night dive. The third time was the charm as the garlic bread turned out perfect. :) After we ate and the divers left, Michelle and I took a quick dip in the ocean. It was a lovely way to end the day.