Two more wonderful dives to round out the trip. Ever since we arrived, discussions regarding the uniqueness of the salt pier have occurred.
Bonaire produces sea salt by flooding condenser ponds with sea water and allowing evaporation to occur before further processing. The resulting salt is transported to ships via the pier extending out into the ocean. The pilings that make up the pier provides habitat for a huge assortment of marine life.
The first dive became practice for the pier dive. For reasons that will be explained later, we were required to exit the boat as a group as quickly as possible and meet in deep below before moving as a tight groups while keeping our air consumption as low as possible before returning to the boat at the end of the dive together rather than individually as we typically do. With the practice dive completed, we were briefed on the pier dive.
Because there are no anchorages near the pier, we would be doing drift diving. The boat will was not tied to a buoy but with the motor turned off, it's simply moving with the current. We all quickly exited the boat so that we didn't get strung out and the boat didn't need to be unpowered for a long period of time. As planned we all met at the bottom before heading to the pier.
I'm not sure what I had expected to see, but maybe I had expected to see two rows of pilings in neat rows, but I was surprised to immediately encounter a large number of pilings that I had not been able to see from the surface. Many vertical and many leaning from vertical. All were heavily encrusted supporting a vast array of sea life. The dive master pointed out all types of sea life as we slowly made our way among the pilings that reached far about us like a redwood forest. The reason for maximizing our air supply was that we need to fully clear the pier so that the boat could pick us up on the far side of the pier. Having to surface before that time would not be practical. So we slowly continued on, as my brother Ed explained, be a tourist, take your time, keep your eyes open to see the sights and keep with the group.
When we were clear of the pier and at the pick-up point, we gathered at the bottom for a while, waiting for the boat to rendezvous with us. The dive master, then signaled for us to surface and sure enough the boat was a short distance away motoring in our direction. It then cut the motor and threw out a line. With the boat now drifting, we all grabbed on to the line and one by one, as quickly as possible made it all on to the board before pulling up the ladder and heading back to the resort. Smiles abounded as we traded traded stories of the experience and what we had seen. I was very pleased to look at my pressure gauge which I monitored during the entire dive to see that I had plenty of air left by the time I had boarded the boat.
Brian
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