Windsock
12.1333°N 68.2817°W · reef
Windsock
A beginner-friendly shore reef adjacent to Flamingo Airport’s runway — named for the airport windsock visible from the shore entry, with easy conditions and a gradual reef slope.
Overview
Windsock is a central Bonaire shore dive located directly adjacent to the runway at Flamingo International Airport, close to the airport windsock that gives the site its name. The setting is unusual — planes take off and land within sight of the entry point — but the diving itself is a typical Bonaire fringing reef experience: an easy sandy entry, a gradual reef slope, and good conditions for beginners and those looking for a no-fuss dive. It is convenient for divers arriving or departing and needing a quick dive, and the proximity to the road makes gear logistics straightforward.
Site Information
- Location: Central Bonaire, adjacent to Flamingo Airport
- Entry Type: Shore entry
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Maximum Depth: 25 meters
- Typical Visibility: 20–30 metres
- Current: Usually light
- Best Time: Morning to afternoon
Marine Life
Standard central Bonaire reef species: parrotfish, grunt and snapper schools, angelfish, and damselfish throughout the reef slope. Turtles are seen along this stretch of coast. The sandy entry area may host stingrays and garden eels. Groupers and moray eels inhabit reef crevices.
Dive Profile
Enter over sand and follow the reef slope to depth. The reef begins within a short swim of shore and the slope runs to around 25 metres. A relaxed out-and-back profile works well at this site.
Entry and Exit
Sandy entry from the roadside pull-off. Exit at the same point. Be aware of low-flying aircraft on approach to the adjacent runway.
Tips
- A convenient first or last dive of a trip given proximity to the airport
- Good beginner site for those unfamiliar with Bonaire’s shore-diving system
- Morning dives avoid any afternoon breeze that can build later in the day
Safety
Standard entry precautions over sandy/rocky shore. Minimal current. Be aware of boat traffic when surfacing.
Photography
Typical reef photography opportunity. The unusual airport backdrop makes above-water shots distinctive.
Nearby Sites
Bachelor’s Beach and Corporal Meiss are nearby to the south. Calabas Reef and 18th Palm are in the same corridor.
Sources: InfoBonaire Dive Site Map, Divers-Guide – Windsock, Bonaireisland.com. Last updated 2026-05-24.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
2214 verified species observations (186 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
- Cephalopholis cruentata
- Lutjanus apodus
- Sparisoma aurofrenatum
- Microspathodon chrysurus
- Haemulon flavolineatum
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.
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