BONAIRE: LOVED BY NATURE ENTHUSIASTS AND WALKERS
Bonaire National Marine Park
Bonaire is also loved by nature enthusiasts and walkers, because the island also has much to offer in the area of nature parks. One of the main attractions of Bonaire is the breath-taking underwater world of the Bonaire National Marine Park.
MANGROVE FOREST AND CORAL DAM
Lac Bay
The azure blue Lac Bay is bordered on the north side by a unique mangrove forest and on the east side is enclosed by a coral dam. De lagoon is approximately 700 ha and includes some of the richest mangroves and seagrass habitats of the Caribbean. Lac Bay is an important breeding ground for the coral fish in the waters of Bonaire and feeding and breeding area for migratory- and waterfowl.
The oldest marine park in the world
The Bonaire National Marine Park encompasses the sea around Bonaire, Klein Bonaire and Lac Bay to a depth of 75 meters including the coral reef, sea grass and mangrove forest. The park was established in 1979 and was the first marine park in the world. With the exception of a small area, the park is completely accessible to divers and snorkelers who can observe the many fish species from up close, as if they were in a large subtropical aquarium.
‘The underwater world of Bonaire is enchanting’
Washington Slagbaai
The Washington-Slagbaai National Park is one of the nicest places on the island. In this mountainous terrain you will find unspoiled nature with cactus forests, rock formations and salt lakes that offer shelter to countless special plants and animals. It covers the entire north of the island and you can view the park by car, mountain bike or on foot.
The inhabitants
You mainly spot lizards, iguanas and many colorful birds, including special parrots. The park contains a number of enchanting beaches that are also important breeding grounds for the five different species of sea turtles that live in the waters of Bonaire.
Bonaire is one of the few breeding sites of the pink flamingo in the world
Flamingo’s
The unique and salty Goto Lake in the National Park Washington-Slagbaai is a feeding place for many animals and a breeding ground for one of the largest flamingo colonies in the world.
At any time, you can find thousands of specimens here.
The pink color
Bonaire and the flamingo are inextricably linked because the island is one of the few breeding sites of the pink flamingo in the world. The pink color comes from the dyes in the food, especially from the small crustaceans that the bird picks up in the salty and brackish water in Bonaire. In the past, the population was drastically reduced, but due to nature conservation measures their numbers have increased again to 15,000 – 20,000 birds.
Pekelmeer
Another unique area is the Pekelmeer and the flamingo reserve in the south-west point of the island. Against the backdrop of the towering snow-white salt pyramids, the violet-like glow of the salt lakes where the pink flamingos strut about and forages for their food together sparkles.
