We travelled to Bonaire with our 8-year-old Kidsetter. Bonaire is a stunning Caribbean island full of natural beauty and wildlife situated only 80 km off the coast of Venezuela.
Based in Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire we caught a catamaran to spend the day snorkeling in the uninhabited waters of Klein Bonaire. The fringing reef system surrounding Klein Bonaire is truly pristine.
Our Kidsetter had only snorkelled once before in shallow waters and is a very poor swimmer to date as previously had many health issues restricting water play and swimming. I was apprehensive to say the least. How was this going to play out given his fear of deep water and lack of swimming ability.
Woodwind catamaran crew were exceptional ! From the beginning, they provided expert instruction on how to snorkel, including what to do if goggles fog up, how to keep water from getting in, etc. They carry the best variety of snorkelling equipment; including full facemasks with built in snorkels, prescription lens masks and fins in every size. They also have wetsuits, swim belts and vests available. Their attention to detail from making sure we were all fitted correctly with our masks and knew a couple of basic hand signs so that we could communicate within the water was outstanding.
Seated on the edge of the catamaran putting the flippers on our Kidsetter turned to me and said “Mummy, I’m nervous.” I said, “I know and it’s going to be alright. I’m right here with you.”
Admittedly I was shocked to see how deep the water was from our catamaran that we were expected to snorkel in – 180 meters deep !
The tour guide led us around the ocean all the while holding our Kidsetter’s hand and whilst I held the other. He felt secure and enjoyed the experience. Our guide cared deeply for the environment and shared her knowledge. She would dive down to point out specific types of fish to teach us about them and how they fit into the eco system. We swam with schools of Dory, Trumpet, Parrot fish and much more.
Early in the piece we spotted a turtle. What a highlight ! A great distraction to keep our Kidsetter completely enthralled by the underwater world and less focussed on the deep ocean. The water was slightly rough, so each time we raised our heads up out of the water for respite we would get knocked around by the swirls. A little difficult to navigate if we needed to adjust our mask as invariably we’d end up with more water in it as the waves hit !
Upon returning to the catamaran we were absolutely thrilled and so proud of our Kidsetter for stepping up and facing his deep-water fear. He succeeded and enjoyed the experience.
Driving back to shore the skipper let our Kidsetter and his friend steer the catamaran. The skipper was great fun and very comical. They had an absolute ball. To end a memorable occasion the skipper gave both Kidsetter’s a turtle necklace. Very fitting, given the Kidsetter’s had spotted their first turtle out in the ocean today. Our Kidsetter turned to me and said, “This is NEVER EVER coming off.” I said, “It suits you very much.”
A truly spectacular day.
