People

News about People on, from, and going to Bonaire

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Grammy Award Winner, Natalia Jimenez, Charms Bonaire

On Friday evening, June 10th, two-time Grammy Award Winner, Natalia Jimenez, charmed an enthusiastic crowd of fans in a live concert on Bonaire.  Images of Natalia may be viewed on the Bonaire Insider Photo Gallery by clicking here. 

Natalia Jiménez Sarmiento was born in Madrid, Spain and is a popular Spanish singer. She is the lead singer of the Spanish pop band, La Quinta Estacion, and her musical talents are obviously inherited, as her father was also a singer.

She definitely “wowed” the audience on Friday evening, inviting them to sing along with her and dance at the front of the stage.  She had an engaging style, drawing in the audience quickly, while keeping them entranced with a variety of songs in Spanish-style or pop throughout the evening’s concert.  (Source:  Bonaire Insider reporter)

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Karol Meyer to Return for the 2011 Bonaire Freediving Event Hosted by Buddy Dive

The famous Brazilian freediver Karol Meyer will return to Bonaire for the 3rd consecutive year to host the Buddy Dive Freediving Event, to be held July 31 through August 14, 2011. Karol is renowned in the sport of freediving, having broken seven world records including the Guinness Book of Records in 2011 in Static Apnea, with a time of 18 minutes, 32 seconds, the World Record in Tandem No Limits with a depth of 121 meters, and the South American Record in Variable Weight, with a depth of 93 meters.

The event this year will feature Karol hosting an evening presentation to highlight her diving accomplishments, special workshops on breathing and apnea tips and a two day freediving clinic, open to the public for $195. (Source: Buddy Dive Resort)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Bonaire Bids a Final “Ayo” to One of Its Icons, “Uncle Bud” Pearson

It is with great sadness that the Insider reports on the passing of a Bonaire icon, “Uncle Bud” Pearson.  Clayton Baird (Bud) Pearson, Jr., lived on Bonaire for approximately 30 years, and he was known and loved by all--visitors and those living here alike.

Bud was the owner/proprietor of the Sand Dollar Grocery for twenty years, and thus came in contact with many of the island’s visitors who stayed in the northern hotel row.  He always greeted everyone in his store with a smile which lit up his face. 

He is survived by his wife, Karen Pearson, and sisters Diane, Barbara, Nancy, and Dorothy.  Come and celebrate Bud’s life at Sunset Beach (located at the northern traffic rotary) at a memorial service on Thursday, March 31st, 2011 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.  Those who would like to make a charitable donation in his memory can do so to Bonaire’s Animal Shelter, Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, or Bonaire National Marine Park.  Condolences to the family can be emailed to unclebuddy@gmail.com.  (Source:  Extra)

Friday, March 11, 2011

Bonaire Residents Awarded New Yoga Teaching Certification

Long-time Bonaire residents Don and Desiree Seaver have attended and graduated from Kripalu’s 200 hour yoga teachers certification and are now sharing their new knowledge, instruction and insights with students in the yoga classes they are teaching at Bonaire Basics and Bon Bida Spa and Gym.

Both Desiree and Don are well known to many Bonaire visitors. Desiree had a salon in Kralendijk for many years, continues to offer her on-site haircutting service, and is also known for her unique jewelry and artwork. Don is well known among both the windsurfing and kite-surfing communities, being active in both, and also known for his beautiful hand-made furniture.

Kripalu yoga expands the practice of physical yoga postures and breathing exercises to include relaxation techniques for integrating body, mind and spirit. The certification conforms with standards of the Yoga Alliance and gives Don and Desiree a thorough background in technical skills necessary to teach yoga safely and effectively.

Kripalu is widely recognized in the yoga community and is the largest yoga and holistic health retreat center in North America, graduating more than 500 yoga teachers from its certification trainings each year. It has a professional association of 2500 registered yoga teachers and more than 30 affiliated yoga studios. For more information about yoga with Don and Desiree Seaver, click here. (Source: A Place for You)

Friday, September 10, 2010

The Bonaire Insider Welcomes Ann Johnson as Guest Editor

The Bonaire Insider is pleased to welcome Ann Johnson as a guest editor.  Ann will assist the current editors, Susan Davis and Jake Richter, with covering Bonaire tourism news for our readers. 

Ann first came to Bonaire in 1996 to vacation as a windsurfer and diver. She loved the island and returned several years on vacation before deciding to leave a challenging banking career to start a massage business on Bonaire.

She worked for many years at a major U.S. bank in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the Foreign Exchange Department responsible for helping companies hedge their foreign currency risk while also functioning as a regional sales manager, managing several offices across the U.S. She decided that the high stress of this job was not something she wanted to do for the rest of her life, and so she decided to study massage, which fit in well with her active lifestyle and pursuit of mind and body balance. After completing her massage program and becoming a certified massage therapist, she partnered with Bonaire Windsurf Place to open the Massage Hut at Lac Bay in 2004.

She continues to operate The Massage Hut offering massages, sea salt body scrubs and Bonaire Salt Products for retail sale at The Hut. She served on the board of the King of the Caribbean Windsurfing Competition and is an active windsurfer and biker.

Ann will be a welcome addition to the Bonaire Insider’s editorial crew, as she has significant writing experience from her time in the banking industry.  We hope you will enjoy her stories!  (Source:  Bonaire Insider)

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Dr. Eugenie Clark--A Recap of Her Week on Bonaire

Dr. Eugenie Clark spent a week on Bonaire in August, charming everyone who met her.  This dynamic lady, 88 years young this past May, has spent her life studying the denizens of the deep, as her specialty is sharks. 

Dr. Clark first became fascinated with the underwater world when she visited an aquarium when quite young.  Her fascination continued and she studied ichthyology (the study of fish) at school.  She was diving before it was fashionable, in fact, before the advent of SCUBA, as she was hard-hat diving as early as the 1940s.

Her true calling became apparent in the 1950s, when she began specializing in the study and research of sharks.  In fact, her research in Florida came to the attention of the U.S. Navy, which then provided grants for her to conduct further research.  Her studies on sharks were groundbreaking, and her future was ensured, as Dr. Clark became one of the leading ichthyologists in the world, and she achieved the highest level in her specialty, so much so that she became affectionately known as “The Shark Lady.”

In fact, she recently completed a 23-day around-the-(southern hemisphere)-world trip, where she attended the Sharks International Symposium in Cairns, Queensland, Australia before jetting over to South Africa to dive with and monitor sevengill sharks--the first time in her life she actually got to see them alive in their own environment.  She dove in the 53-degree-F water (11.5 Celsius) with just a wet suit--definitely a hardier woman than I!

While on Bonaire, Dr. Clark gave a number of presentations to visitors and islanders alike, graciously signed copies of her books, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award (see prior story by clicking here) given to her by the island of Bonaire in recognition and thanks for all her work on behalf of the world’s oceans and its inhabitants.  Images from her week on Bonaire are available on the Bonaire Insider Photo Gallery by clicking here.

So what’s in store for the future?  This plucky lady is currently working on five new manuscripts, four of which she wishes to complete in the near future.  Shortly, she will be winging her way across the skies once again, but this time to Japan.  Although the purpose of her trip is personal, she will be sure to visit her friends (both human and finned) at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, where in the past she swam with the whale sharks who make their home there.

In conclusion, it was certainly an honor to get to know Dr. Clark, and everyone on Bonaire wishes her all the best in her future endeavors.  We hope to see her back on the island again soon.  (Source:  Bonaire Insider Reporter)

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Dutch Actress Carice van Houten On Bonaire to Film Documentary

It was recently announced by her agent that Dutch actress Carice van Houten will travel to Bonaire next week in her capacity as an ambassador for the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF, previously World Wildlife Fund) to assist with the filming of a documentary about the island.

While on Bonaire, Ms. van Houten and the film crew will be shooting images for National Geographic focusing upon the reefs, Bonaire’s turtles, and its mangroves.  She hopes to show how these special flora and fauna can be threatened by growing tourism to the island.

One of her primary reasons for making this documentary at this time is due to the new planned status change of Bonaire effective October 10, 2010 and the film will air on October 11 on Dutch television.

Ms. van Houten traveled to Rwanda last year to make a documentary about their mountain gorillas for the WWF. (Source: de Telegraaf)

Friday, August 20, 2010

Bonaire Welcomes Dr. Eugenie Clark during Celebrate Our Planet Week

Dr. Eugenie Clark will be on Bonaire next week for events during Celebrate Our Planet Week.  She’ll be kept busy with a book-signing and also two presentations, but will, in addition, be the second recipient of the North American Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to her from the island of Bonaire.

There are several events throughout the week, where those on island can meet Dr. Clark:

Monday, August 23rd, at Captain Don’s Habitat, 5:30 PM:  Dr. Clark will be doing a book-signing featuring the latest edition of her book, “The Lady with the Sharks.”

On Tuesday, August 24th, at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino, 6:00 PM, she will give a presentation entitled “Sea Monsters I Have Known” combined with “Shark Lady.” This presentation will be repeated on Thursday, August 26th at Buddy Dive Resort at 6:00 PM.

All are invited to get to know Dr. Clark during these events.

To end the week with a sweet taste, enjoy another Taste of Bonaire, organized by the Bonaire Restaurant Association.  Enjoy great dishes, local music, and handicrafts during this popular event on Friday, August 27th at Wilhelmina Park from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Enjoy the week’s festivities!  (Source:  TCB-Bonaire)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Tom Ingram, DEMA, Gives Presentation to Bonaire’s Tourism Industry

Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA (Diving Equipment and Marketing Association) was recently on Bonaire.  While on-island, he gave a presentation to members of the island’s tourism and diving industries providing profile data of the type of person who comes to Bonaire for diving.

Tom explained that the profiles have been generated from a database of nearly 30,000 Bonaire visitors who responded to a survey.  This survey revealed the behaviors and characteristics of the type of American who visits Bonaire.  This data is important to those in Bonaire tourism as it provides a better understanding of the island’s current visitors, and services can be more closely targeted to meet the needs of this diving consumer.  Most importantly, the survey helped identify geo-demographic segmentation, clearly identifying the potential “Bonaire visitor” by geography and demography, including factors such as income, education, mode of travel, employment, geographic mobility, place of work, occupation, age, race, ethnicity, as well as other variables.  The database is updated yearly, so data is kept current.

Tom has been working within the diving industry for over thirty years, and coupled with that he has a strong background in business.  Tom managed a small business development center for the Small Business Administration in Florida, and he taught both a business program and a diving program for over fifteen years at Barry University, also in Florida, and with the Florida Institute of Technology, now located in Melbourne, Florida.

DEMA continues to provide this type of information to the island as a benefit of Bonaire’s destination sponsorship of the DEMA/Be a Diver Pool, which is a 20 x 30 foot, 15,000 gallon mobile pool which traverses the United States stopping at two- and three-day, large-scale venues. It is complete with a portable setup that includes dressing rooms, towels, all the newest diving equipment including wetsuits and fins, an air compressor, and a pavilion for registration and consumer interaction.  (Source:  Bonaire Insider reporter)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Bonaire Bids Farewell to the Wounded Warriors

Yesterday, Bonaire bid a fond farewell to the 2010 participants of the 5th Be A Diver-Wounded Warrior Scuba Certification trip.  The men and their families have had a very busy week, but all have certainly enjoyed the island and all it has to offer.

When we last checked in with the Warriors, they had just completed their dive certifications.  They have spent much of their rest of their days diving, both by shore and by boat.  On Tuesday afternoon, they enjoyed lunch in Kralendijk, compliments of the Bonaire Talk Community, as well as a private shopping spree with gift certificates provided by Jewel of Bonaire.  Tuesday night they dined at Patagonia Argentinean Restaurant, compliments of the Palacios Family.

Wednesday evening was certainly special as the men and their families were guests of honor at a reception held at the home of Lt. Governor Glenn Thode and sponsored by Caradonna Caribbean Tours.  Everyone enjoyed their motorcycle escort provided by the Bikers Bonaire.  During the evening, the men were named Bonaire Ambassadors by the Tourism Corporation Bonaire.  After, a dance group from Rincon performed traditional dances for the group.  View images from Wednesday evening by clicking here.

Thursday brought more diving and then in the evening, everyone gathered at the Deco Stop Bar at Captain Don’s Habitat to watch the Week in Review with dinner following courtesy of Dive Training Magazine (images available by clicking here)

It was a little rainy (well, very rainy) on Friday morning during their Bonaire Tours island tour, but everyone ended at a complimentary lunch at KFC.  In the afternoon, more touring, this time provided by Bonaire Quad Tours, with finally a Texas-styled BBQ sponsored by Jack Chalk and his family and Adams Unlimited.

Saturday morning, it was an early morning transfer to the airport for their check-in, but, even then, these heros were given paid departure tax tickets, once again sponsored by the Bonaire Talk Community.  For five years now, the island has always come together for these annual events to show these men and their families who have given so much exactly what it means to be grateful for their sacrifices.  This week could not have been possible without the sponsors and those donating funds and/or services.  We’d like to thank everyone:  9Line LLC, Adams Unlimited Public Relations & Marketing, AERIS, Bikers Bonaire, Bonaire KFC, BonaireTalk.com, Bonaire Quad Tours, Bonaire Guided Motorcycle Tours, Bonaire Tours & Vacations, Budget Rent A Car, Captain Don’s Habitat, Caradonna Dive Adventures, Inc., Care Coalition, Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine, Chat & Browse Bonaire, DEMA/Be a Diver, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine, Dive Training Magazine, Henderson, H.S.A. International Training Center of New Jersey, Islands Magazine, Jack Chalk & Family, Jewel Of Bonaire, Net, N.V., OCEANIC, PADI, Paradise Moon Bar & Restaurant, Patagonia Restaurant, Princeton Tec, Rum Runners, Sport Diver Magazine, Tourism Corporation Bonaire, and Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, as well as the anonymous donors.

We look forward to seeing you again in 2011!  Te aworo (until next time)! (Source:  Bonaire Insider reporter)