Читать книгу Reef Smart Guides Bonaire - Otto Wagner - Страница 9

9

ABOUT BONAIRE

Location and formation

Bonaire is located to the west of the Caribbean island chain known as the Lesser Antilles. It is 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Curaçao and 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the coast of Venezuela, this small, remote island has established a reputation as an international dive destination. Bonaire is considered by many divers to have the best shore diving in the Caribbean, and possibly even the world, with something for everyone mere steps from the beach.

The island is flat, rocky and dry. Its highest point tops out at just 784 feet (241 meters) above sea level, and it has a total area of 113 square miles (290 square kilometers). It measures 17 miles (27 kilometers) from north to south and varies in width from 3 to 7 miles (5 and 11 kilometers) with a shape that vaguely resembles a boot with its toes pointing south. Bonaire’s rocks are volcanic in origin, dating back to the Cretaceous period that

ended more than 65 million years ago. This mass of rock, known as the Washikemba formation, was pushed up toward the surface of the water after shifts in the underlying tectonic plates raised the surrounding continental shelf shortly after the Eocene epoch, a period that ended more than 33 million years ago.

Marine sediment settled on the volcanic rocks eventually covering it in layers of limestone. Coral reefs formed during various parts of the Pleistocene era, which dates from 2.6 million years ago to just 11,700 years ago. As sea levels rose and fell during this time, the limestone and reef covering the island eroded away. Evidence of this process is visible today in the terraces (Lower, Middle and Higher Terraces) that appear around the island, most notably in the northeastern regions of the national park. The original volcanic rock lies exposed in some parts of the island, while others still have their limestone covering. The corals shifted along with the changing sea level and are now restricted to the waters surrounding the island.

Paulo Miguel Costa/Shutterstock©

About Bonaire

BONAIRE