Bonaire · Caribbean Netherlands · Reef
Bari's Reef
Over 300 fish species recorded, the most in the Caribbean
Area photo: Michal Strzelecki, Wojtek Strzelecki & Jerzy Strzelecki · CC BY 3.0
Bari's Reef is the fish-counting site on Bonaire: over 300 species have been sighted and surveyed here, which ranks it first in the Caribbean for fish diversity. A small jetty runs along the northern end of the site and the reef slope drops from around 9 metres to 30. It is an easy shore entry that suits any level of diver.
Also known as Bari Reef.
Where it is and how deep
12.1674° N, 68.2879° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Enter from the shore and work north along the reef towards the small jetty that runs along that end of the site. The structure and the rubble around it are where the dive earns its reputation: octopus, crabs and lobsters tuck into the holes, and the fish list here is the longest anywhere in the Caribbean, with more than 300 species sighted and surveyed on this one reef.
Turn out onto the slope and follow it down as far as your plan allows, to 30 metres at the deep end. Caribbean reef squid have been photographed hanging in mid-water over this reef, so keep glancing off the coral into the blue as well as into it. Come back shallow along the reef top for the second half of the dive and exit where you came in, which leaves plenty of gas for a slow pass over the jetty.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Squid
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Bonaire: Bonaire sits south of the hurricane belt, so conditions stay calm and diveable all year; trade winds pick up slightly June–November.
Questions divers ask
Why is Bari's Reef famous?+
It holds the highest recorded fish diversity in the Caribbean: more than 300 species have been sighted and surveyed on this single shore-accessible reef, which is why fish counters and photographers keep coming back to it.
How deep is Bari's Reef?+
Roughly 9 to 30 metres. The jetty and the shallow reef sit at the top of that range, and the slope drops away to 30 metres for divers who want a deeper leg.
Sources
- Bari Reef dive site — Bonaire Island
- Bari's Reef (30) — Scubago
- Teuthology — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Bonaire
A staircase entry onto a reef that tips over at 9 metres
A shore dive across Bonaire's double reef system
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Plate coral on a shallow slope you can walk into
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Black coral colonies and a cave at 23 metres
A freighter on her side at 30 metres, reached from the road
Steep coral buttresses and sand channels to 45 metres
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A gentle terrace of coral and sand at Klein Bonaire's west end
Similar dives elsewhere
Gullies cut across a submerged spur-and-groove reef
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Coral in 6 m a short swim off the beach, wall to 43 m
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A cave under the overhangs, and reef sharks out in the blue