There was a huge variety of fish that traveled in schools, including the smallmouth grunt shown here, from tiny goby to beautiful blue tangs. The largest fish we managed to photograph was the barracuda above. We missed the large tarpon that showed up for the night dives.
After an Easter brunch at a Dutch oceanfront cafe at Lac Bay and a visit to the Donkey Sanctuary, we returned to Lac Bay so Ashlynn and Jimmy could take a windsurfing lesson. Jimmy had windsurfed years ago in Florida, but this was Ashlynn’s first time. The sheltered bay with knee deep water and gentle winds, make Lac Bay one of the best places in the world to learn this sport. It also made it a difficult place to snorkel. Veronica and I had been told it was a long walk out to the coral dam which separates the bay from the ocean, but hadn’t expected it to take nearly 30 minutes. The snorkeling wasn’t very good as it was still very shallow at the dam, but we had the excitement of seeing a lionfish, porcupinefish and a giant parrotfish.
We really had no idea what to expect when we drove through the Donkey Sanctuary, but we were completely surprised when the truck was surrounded by hungry donkeys trying to get a bite. Us girls sat in the back of the truck and couldn’t give the food away fast enough. Jimmy had a difficult time driving as there was often a donkey’s head in one of his windows. Definitely a wacky way to spend an hour and a place we’d recommend for all visitors to Bonaire.
Donkeys were first introduced to Bonaire in the 17th century when Spaniards brought them over to provide the only means of transportation between the interior of the island and the salt flats. Wild donkeys can still be spotted around the island, but often suffer from dehydration.
Today, over 400 donkeys are cared for at the Donkey Sanctuary, which provides food, water and medical care. They castrate the male donkeys, but still have babies to care as they adopt wild orphans.
I’d read about Yenny’s “Museum” on Frommer’s website, but even if I hadn’t, we would have stopped to check out the site with its unusual decorations from the outside. Once you step into the yard, you’re greeted by life-size rag dolls in various island dress.
We were especially impressed with the flamingoes, who were rescued as orphans and walked around freely. We opted not to buy any of the art, but dropped a few dollars in the donation can as we definitely enjoyed this short diversion from reality.
We chose to pay for a larger apartment at Belmar to ensure that we’d have a 2nd storey balcony. After seeing the view, we knew we’d made the right decision. Not only did we eat all of our meals on the balcony, but we spent a lot of time out there reading, talking and admiring the view.
We also enjoyed watching the sun set, which was usually around 6:40 pm. Never did see the green flash, but enjoyed the light show nonetheless.
