Thursday, March 24, 2011

Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? No! It’s a Flying Gunard!

If you’ve always wanted to know more about those spectacular reef fish you spot while diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean, then this is the year to join Sand Dollar Condominiums and Bonaire Dive & Adventure as they host the Fourth Annual Fish ID Challenge July 30 to August 5 and August 6 to 12, 2011. Join them this summer as they team up once more with Fish ID experts Patti & Scott Chandler of ReefNet, Inc.

Participants will enjoy multimedia Fish ID seminars targeting novice to advanced fish watchers during their stay. Attendees will receive a Bonaire-specific, custom-printed Fish ID guide of the top 100 most commonly sighted fish found in Bonaire’s waters. During the week, Patti and Scott will lead guided shore dives on Bari Reef.  Several evenings each week, Patti and Scott will share raw, uncut video of these and other dives with participants discussing fish ID and swapping the days “fish stories.” One of Scott’s specialties is shooting in Hi-Def macro, capturing on tape those interesting fishes and creatures too small to be noticed by the naked eye and fish behavior not normally seen by most divers.

Divers will learn how to contribute to REEF’s (the Reef Environmental Education Foundation) fish database through the use of roving surveys. Information gathered in the surveys will be entered into REEF’s public-accessible database and made available to divers, marine researchers, and other interested parties. Current Reef database statistics site Bonaire as having 7 of the top 10 reefs in the Caribbean in terms of species richness, with Sand Dollar’s Bari Reef boasting the top position with a remarkable 389 species recorded.

Participants will be further challenged with the goal of locating a “fish du jour” which will be posted on a daily “Wanted Poster.” At the each of week of the event, prizes will be awarded for the guest(s) who accumulate the most points for daily fish sightings. Guests will be encouraged to participate in a cumulative weekly fish sighting tally that will be updated daily to illustrate the vast representation of fish that can be found in Bonaire’s calm waters. 

Sand Dollar’s “Ride to the Reef Packages” during the Challenge are priced at US $787.00 per double diver, for seven nights studio accommodation, free Nitrox upgrades, six days unlimited shore diving, truck rental, and government room tax.  Packages including boat dives and other accommodation types including one-, two-, and three-bedrooms are also available.  The Challenge is free to guests of Sand Dollar. 

For more information, please call 800-288-4773 or Sand Dollar’s Florida Office at 954-453-5025 or email by clicking here or visit their web site at www.SandDollarBonaire.com. (Source:  Sand Dollar Condominiums)