Bonaire, the area around White Hole

Bonaire · Caribbean Netherlands · Sand slope

White Hole

A white sand plain on the rarely dived east coast

Area photo: Michal Strzelecki, Wojtek Strzelecki & Jerzy Strzelecki · CC BY 3.0

White Hole lies in front of Lac Bay on Bonaire's windward east coast, away from the entire leeward shore-diving circuit. The name comes from the white sand plain that defines the site, and the animals that cross it are the reason to go: tarpon, turtles, rays and the occasional shark. Depths run from about 5 to 30 metres.

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Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of White Hole: typical dive 5–30 m (15–100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

12.0938° N, 68.2292° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

Arrange the dive through an east coast operator first — this is the side of Bonaire the self-drive circuit never reaches, and getting on the site at all depends on conditions and local knowledge. You either come in by boat or wade a good distance out through Lac Bay, which is the slower option and the reason most divers take the boat.

Underwater the site is what its name says: a white sand plain, open and bright, running from around 5 metres out to 30. There is little to hide behind, so the dive is about watching the water rather than searching the bottom. Numerous tarpon hold over the sand, turtles and rays cross it, and sharks turn up occasionally. Keep your eyes up and moving, and let the animals come to you rather than chasing them across open ground.

Marine life and season

  • Sea turtles
  • Stingrays
Month-by-month season rating for White Hole
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPrime

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.

Know before you go

  • East-coast conditions decide whether this dive runs at all, so book it through an east coast operator rather than treating it as a self-organised shore dive.

Questions divers ask

Can you dive Bonaire's east coast?+

Yes, at sites like White Hole in front of Lac Bay, but it is not part of the self-drive shore circuit. Check with the east coast dive operators, who run these dives when conditions allow, either by boat or by wading out through the bay.

Sources

  1. White Hole dive site — Bonaire Island
  2. White Hole (62) — Scubago

More dive sites in Bonaire

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1000 Steps

A staircase entry onto a reef that tips over at 9 metres

to 40 madvanced

Reef

Andrea I

Plate coral on a shallow slope you can walk into

6–30 mintermediate

Reef

Andrea II

A big, quiet shore reef with parking right by the entry

6–30 mintermediate

Reef

Bari's Reef

Over 300 fish species recorded, the most in the Caribbean

9–30 mintermediate

Reef

Forest

Black coral colonies and a cave at 23 metres

8–30 m · max 50 mintermediate

Wreck

Hilma Hooker

A freighter on her side at 30 metres, reached from the road

to 30 m · max 40 madvanced

Reef

Karpata

Steep coral buttresses and sand channels to 45 metres

to 45 m · max 50 madvanced

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