1000 Steps

1000 Steps is a shore dive site on the west coast of Bonaire, named half in jest for the long staircase down the limestone cliff to the water, though the actual count is closer to seventy steps. The entry is a rocky, terraced descent that makes the walk down and the climb back up in gear the main challenge of the site, and this entry has been flagged as a genuine hazard by divers. Once in, divers reach a gently sloping reef typical of Bonaire's fringing reef structure, with coral spurs and sandy patches. The site is rated intermediate and reaches a maximum depth of around 8 metres. Divers have reported barracuda, moray eels, and sea turtles here. It remains a popular stop on Bonaire's shore-diving circuit, mainly for what the entry and exit demand rather than anything underwater.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
• Moray eelMoray eelReported here · unconfirmed
• Stoplight ParrotfishSparisoma virideReported here · unconfirmed
• Queen ParrotfishScarus vetulaReported here · unconfirmed
• Lobed Star CoralOrbicella annularisReported here · unconfirmed
• Caribbean Christmas Tree WormSpirobranchus giganteusReported here · unconfirmed
• Greater Star CoralMontastraea cavernosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Western Atlantic TrumpetfishAulostomus maculatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Princess ParrotfishScarus taeniopterusReported here · unconfirmed
• Caribbean Bluehead WrasseThalassoma bifasciatumReported here · unconfirmed
• BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed