Bonaire · Caribbean Netherlands · Reef · Sand slope
Munk's Haven
A gentle terrace of coral and sand at Klein Bonaire's west end
Area photo: Michal Strzelecki, Wojtek Strzelecki & Jerzy Strzelecki · CC BY 3.0
Munk's Haven is the most westerly dive site on Klein Bonaire, and it is reached by boat. The bottom slopes gently from the shallows and only steepens from about 12 metres, which makes it as workable for snorkellers and new divers as for anyone wanting the deeper slope down to 30 metres.
0Where it is and how deep
12.1535° N, 68.3300° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Drop onto the shallow terrace, which is a mix of coral and sand rather than solid reef, and take it slowly. This is where the burrowing fish live: yellowhead jawfish hovering over their holes, and the harder-to-spot sand tilefish, which build dens by carrying small pieces of rubble into a pile and dive straight into the opening if you crowd them. Hold position off the bottom and wait rather than swimming closer.
From about 12 metres the reef slopes more steeply and you can follow it down to 30 metres if the plan calls for it, or simply stay on the terrace for the whole dive — it is shallow enough that snorkellers work the same ground overhead. Turn on gas, come back up the slope and spend the last part of the dive on the rubble patches where the tilefish dens are, then surface at the boat.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Bonaire: The sea stays diveable all year; the water is at its coolest in late December and January.
Questions divers ask
How do you dive Munk's Haven?+
By boat. It is the most westerly site on Klein Bonaire, which has no road access, so it is dived from a boat trip rather than from the leeward shore road.
Sources
- Munk's Haven dive site — Bonaire Island
- Munk's Haven — Scubago
More dive sites in Bonaire
Reef
A big, quiet shore reef with parking right by the entry
Reef
Plate coral on a shallow slope you can walk into
Reef
Jawfish and blennies in the rubble off Klein Bonaire
Wall
Elkhorn and pillar coral on a bank above a deep reef drop
Reef
Black coral colonies and a cave at 23 metres
A good chance of a seahorse under the divi tree
Rays and turtles in the sandy shallows
Easy shore entry onto a sloping reef often dived at night
Similar dives elsewhere
Coral bommies from 15 to 24 m, with eagle rays and garden eels
A bronze mermaid and a landing-craft wreck on one shore dive
A flat coral plateau at 12 m (40 ft) that drops sharply to 120
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Green and hawksbill turtles over seagrass by the Blue Lagoon