Location(s)

Bonaire; Indians, slaves, pirates, and criminals create a diverse culture on this island. The first inhabitants were the Caquetios, Indians believed to be descended from the Arawaks who came over to Bonaire from Venezuela. The Caquetios would have come over in hollowed out logs they would have used for fishing, an easy 17 mile trip. On a side note it was believed that the Arawaks were the first to have met Christopher Columbus.

Christopher Columbus fell out of favor with Queen Isabella in 1495, and he lost his exclusive right to explore the Caribbean. So, the exploration of Bonaire was left to Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci (from whom the Americas get their name). In 1499 they landed on Bonaire, the name Bonaire came from the original Caiquetio word Bonay, which means low country. The Spanish really did not like the island so they enslaved the Indians and left the island.

Then in 1526, cattle were brought to the island. Some of the Caiquetios were returned to the island to act as laborers. More and more animals arrived; pigs, goats, donkeys, and horses. These animals were not used for their meat but rather for their skins. So the animals were left to roam. Today, when you visit the island you will find descendents of those roaming animals. There is a Donkey Sanctuary on the island, these beasts of burden were originally used in the salt mines on the island.

Other than the animals on the island the early years of Bonaire were not good years. Most of the people who lived on the island were criminals from some of the other colonies in South America. There was only one permanent settlement called Rincon. This settlement was far enough inland to be safe from the pirates who would raid the island. Eventually others were brought to the island primarily used as slaves in the salt mines.

It was not until the 1900s with the building of the first ship’s pier in the harbor. This allowed cruise ships to tie up alongside the wharf and discharge passengers. Soon hotels were constructed and then in 1943 the construction of the first modern airport was completed south of Kralendijk.

We will be making our first scuba trip to Bonaire on June 9-16. We would like for you to join us on this trip. As you can see there is a lot of interesting stories above the surface of the water. If you would like to learn to dive in time for the trip to Bonaire there is plenty of time. Please contact Kory at the shop for more information. Currently seven people have enrolled to date and there are still 8 slots available.