Chachacha Beach
12.1460°N 68.2763°W · reef
Chachacha Beach
A shallow north-central Bonaire shore reef near Oil Slick Leap — beginner-friendly with a sandy beach entry and a shallow fringing reef to 15 metres.
Overview
Chachacha Beach is a shallow shore dive site on Bonaire’s north-central west coast, in the vicinity of Oil Slick Leap. The site has a sandy beach entry leading to a shallow fringing reef — one of the shallower sites on the west coast, with a maximum depth of 15 metres making it well suited to beginners, snorkellers, and photographers wanting to work a shallow reef in good light. The name refers to the beach at this point on the coastal road.
Site Information
- Location: North-central Bonaire west coast, near Oil Slick Leap
- Entry Type: Shore entry
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Maximum Depth: 15 meters
- Typical Visibility: 15–25 metres
- Current: Light
- Best Time: Morning
Marine Life
Typical west-coast reef species in a shallow setting: parrotfish, damselfish, wrasses, and grunts. The shallow reef is also accessible to snorkellers.
Dive Profile
Sandy beach entry and short swim to the fringing reef. Maximum depth 15 metres — suitable for a relaxed shallow dive or snorkel.
Entry and Exit
Sandy beach entry. Exit at the same point.
Tips
- Good option for a shallow afternoon dive when northerly trade winds push swells into exposed sites
- Accessible to snorkellers and beginner divers
Safety
Straightforward conditions. Light current. Standard precautions.
Photography
The shallow depth and good light make this well suited to reef photography and snorkel photography.
Nearby Sites
Oil Slick Leap is nearby to the south. Karpata is further north.
Sources: InfoBonaire Dive Site Map, Divers-Guide – Bonaire, Bonaireisland.com. Last updated 2026-05-24.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
2138 verified species observations (193 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1930 and 2019, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Eretmochelys imbricata · Hawksbill sea turtle
- Chelonia mydas · Green sea turtle
- Caretta caretta · Loggerhead sea turtle
- Pterois · lionfish
- Scarus taeniopterus
- Scarus vetula
- Sparisoma viride
- Microspathodon chrysurus
- Cephalopholis cruentata
- Lutjanus apodus
- Haemulon flavolineatum
- Acanthurus coeruleus
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
Conditions change with the tide and the season. If you have dived this site, share what it was actually like — date, visibility, current, and what you saw. Real, recent reports from divers are exactly what this guide is built to collect.
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