This is the last installment of reader Jeffrey Lewis’s underwater photos from Bonaire (see previous installment here). Here’s the intro to the photos, and his IDs and comments are indented:
These were all taken on a family vacation to Bonaire, an island in the Caribbean just off the coast of Venezuela. It’s a special municipality of the Netherlands – almost but not quite a normal municipality. It’s a rather small island, only 114 square miles, with a population of around 17,500. It’s main claim to fame is in being one of the premier locations for shore diving, with many reefs close enough to shore that they’re easy enough to swim to without having to use a boat. In addition to all the open water scuba diving & snorkeling that we did, we also explored the island itself, including a tour in some of the island’s caves, and a kayaking trip through mangroves.
Unidentified species of Anemone:
Possibly a Whitespotted Filefish (Cantherhines macrocerus):
Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus):
Smooth Trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter):
Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) and Juvenile French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru):
Sharptail Eel (Myrichthys breviceps):
White Sea Urchin (Tripneustes ventricosus):
Scrawled Filefish (Aluterus scriptus):
French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru):
6 Comments
Happy new year defending evolution and environment!
I’ve really enjoyed these pics from the reefs. Thanks so much!
I dove in Bonaire twice. These shots bring back memories. The island is known for small stuff rather than pelagics. It’s great for photography since the water is clear and the reefs are mostly shallow so there’s plenty of light. My most memorable siting was sea horses in some reads quite close to shore. They would have been impossible to find, but our dive guide pointed them out to us.
These photos are super. Thought I’d see a purple cow before I’d ever see a plaid fish (or any plaid animal), but that trumpetfish is decked out plaid.
I agree totally. The colors are amazing, and the attire of the trumpetfish could be seen in mens’ suits not too long ago.
Thanks for sharing these beautiful underwater pics. I’ve really enjoyed them. The diversity of reef life is astounding.