Hurricane Omar Hits Bonaire

[iflyrc5]

I saw on the news that Hurricane Omar hit Bonaire and did extensive damage. I have done a limited internet search and saw a few photos that did not look too bad. Just wondering if anyone has heard how bad it really was and what it will do to the snorkeling and diving sites. We are scheduled to be there on 28 Nov.

[2CoolCanucks]

I made a post in the Curacao thread about this. Curacao and Bonaire are very close together and what affects the one, usually affects the other. Omar was a different storm than most in that it travelled from west to east rather than east to west as other recent hurricanes in the Caribbean have done. Hurricane Lenny was an example of this which hit those islands (waves only, no wind) in 1999.

From what I have heard from friends (who live there) and have seen (pics), the waves have done similar damage to the beaches taking much of the sand out to sea. This of course will affect the corals but as to how bad it is, I'm not sure just yet. Lenny did affect lots of cool diving sites on Curacao and Bonaire...

[iflyrc5]

This is the reply I got from Renee about hurricane Omar and the damage in Bonaire.

 

The island took a bad hit from Omar with a lot of damage to the docks and the coral, but the fishes are still there.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

This is the reply I got from Renee about hurricane Omar and the damage in Bonaire.

 

The island took a bad hit from Omar with a lot of damage to the docks and the coral, but the fishes are still there.

 

That is too bad. I was looking forward to seeing pristine coral. I hope that by May things will have a chance to "settle down". I'm glad to hear that the fish are still there, though. Also, and most important, are the people of Bonaire ok?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry to hear this.

 

We have been to Bonaire several times and really love the beautiful island and beaches.

[Nanatravel]

We will be here the first week of November. I'll let you how it is when I return.

 

Bon Voyage

Nanatravel

[Nanatravel]

I contacted our tour vendor Aquaspace, for an update. Their main sail was damaged on their ship. It can still operate by motor. You may want to contact your tour provider to determine if you still want your tour, if your visit is coming up fairly soon.

 

Bon Voyage

Nanatravel

[Nanatravel]

This link was just provided to me by our tour provider:

 

http://www.bonaireinsider.com/

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for posting that informative link. While it will be disappointing to not see as much of the adult coral in the shallows it was an important note that these islands have had hurricanes for centuries and they are an important part of the coral's evolution. I'm sure it will still be a beautiful sight!:cool: