November 21 , 2006
Tourism Corporation Bonaire U.S.A. Press Release

Bonaire Voted #1 Dive Destination for Fifth Year in a Row in Scuba Diving Magazine's Readers' Choice Awards 2007

Bonaire Also Rated Tops for Healthiest Marine Environment, Shore Diving, Underwater Photography and Beginner Diving in Caribbean/Atlantic

Kralendijk, Bonaire – Continuing its reign as one of the world’s top dive destinations, Bonaire was for the fifth year in a row rated the Top Dive Destination Overall (Caribbean/Atlantic) in Scuba Diving magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2007.

Bonaire also received the #1 rating in four other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Healthiest Marine Environment, Top Shore Diving Destination, Top Destination for Underwater Photography and Top Destination for Beginners, and took second place in the categories of Top Marine Life and Top Small Animal Encounters. Additionally Bonaire placed in the top three in the Top Value and Top Snorkeling categories, and in the top five in the categories of Top Visibility and Top Destinations for Advanced Divers.

“For more than twenty-five years Bonaire’s dedicated and environmentally-conscious dive industry has worked diligently to protect our coral reefs and provide a superior dive experience, and we are honored the for five straight years divers have recognized their efforts and rated Bonaire the top dive destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic,” said Ronella Croes, Director of the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB).

For the Reader’s Choice awards thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and web users rated their dive experiences on a scale of one to five. Results of the 2007 Awards will be featured in the January/February 2007 issue of Scuba Diving magazine.

Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun-worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities including world renowned scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, landsailing, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing and deep sea and bone fishing. And with a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guesthouses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.

The U.S. State Department and the Department Homeland Security recently announced the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will take effect on December 31, 2006, will require all U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, to carry a passport or other accepted secure documents to enter or re-enter the U.S. from vacations or business travel anywhere in the Caribbean, including Bonaire.  This requirement will apply to all air and sea travel. 

For more information on Bonaire, contact the Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE.