Bonaire and Belize - Great Caribbean Diving Destinations

Caribbean diving offers warm water, great visibility and some of the best places to scuba dive in the world. Caribbean vacation spots that cater to divers are friendly and can offer some cheap diving options.
Bonaire
Bonaire is part of the Netherlands Antilles A, B, C islands. The ABC stands for Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. These three islands lie less than 100 miles off the coast of Venezuela.
The Bonaire National Marine Park was established in 1979 and circles almost the entire island. The preservation and care for Bonaire's reef system is why it is considered one of the best scuba and snorkeling destinations. The preserve is home to a vast array of sea creatures. The alert diver can find sea horses, octopus, giant blue parrot fish, groupers, trumpet fish, giant angel fish and too many others to list here.
Bonaire is a desert island which means that divers can expect a rain-free diving vacation year round. Visibility is best between February and April, but visibility never drops below about 50 feet.
Most of the hotels have PADI dive facilities and boats that will take divers to any of the more than 60 dive sites around Bonaire and its baby brother Klein Bonaire. For divers who prefer shore diving, 50 of the dive sites are shore accessible.
Some of the best sites include:
•Karpata – Some of the best visibility in the Caribbean, light current and giant anchors in coral make this a great dive site for photographers.
•1,000 Steps is an excellent shore or boat dive for beginners. Hawksbill turtles can often be seen here and on rare occasions a whale shark.
Belize and the Ambergris Kaye
Belize offers an abundance of dive options. The Ambergris Kaye can be reached by a short boat ride from shore. Ambergris Kaye offers more than 25 miles of dive sites. Enormous tube sponges, deep canyons and tons of wildlife make this a spectacular Caribbean diving location.
Water temperatures around Belize range from the upper 70s in January and February up to the middle 80s in summer. Visibility is not as great as Bonaire but 50 to 60 feet is common.
There are many good resorts on the mainland that offer dive packages. Some resorts also offer packages that include other eco-tourism adventures in the surrounding rain forests.
For a relaxing vacation that truly is a getaway, there is the Manta Resort. The Manta Resort is a tiny island about 25 miles off the coast of Belize. A flexible and knowledgeable dive crew takes the lucky few visitors to many of the sites that are brief boat rides away.
Divers looking for great Caribbean diving locations need look no further than Bonaire and Belize. Excellent visibility, friendly people and an amazing abundance of sea life make these two of the best places to scuba dive or snorkel.