Just inches from me a nine foot sand tiger shark passes. I stop and give him the right away. Two five foot shark rays buzz around me in hopes that I may have a lobster tucked away somewhere. As I look up a six foot green moray ell glides by.
The next morning I watch in awe as a 1800 pound manatee does barrel rolls just a breath away from me.
What plane ride and lay over’s have I endured to dive with these wonderful creatures? To be there among them have I been slammed about on a boat, heaving my guts out in a confused sea?
To see them have I dug deep into my pocket, putting my financial security at risk. No, I have just gotten in my car and drove 30 minutes or less. You see I am a volunteer at the Newport Aquarium and the Cincinnati Zoo and I love it.
Because Bonaire is famous for shore diving, sites are marked around the island with yellow painted rock. A corresponding buoy in the water is attached to the site. This is the rock marking a site named for Aquarius Dive Travel. Leesa Weisner has led more than 200 trips to Bonaire.