As part of its efforts to help lead the way in restoring some of the Caribbean's most spectacular reefs, beachfront Bonaire resort will offer new guided educational dives that let guests help introduce and nurture new coral colonies.
Bonaire, Dutch Antilles / ACCESSWIRE / December 15, 2014 / Guests at Harbour Village Beach Club already enjoy seeing and exploring vibrant coral reefs just off the idyllic resort's sandy shore. Soon, they can also learn how to help maintain and care for new reefs with a guided, onsite dive experience that will also raise funds for coral conservation.
A founding member of the Coral Restoration Foundation in Bonaire, Harbour Village Beach Club will receive 10 elkhorn and staghorn corals that will grow on 5 trees in the next few weeks to add to existing corals in the shallow waters near the resort's beach. These two types of coral, with antler-like structures that create habitats for many other sea creatures, are among the most important reef-building corals in the Caribbean.
The corals to be installed at Harbour Village have been nurtured on Bonaire by the Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire. They were either salvaged from ailing coral structures to be re-grown or broken coral that is found and will die if not cared for.
The dive masters at Harbour Village's onsite scuba and snorkel shop, Great Adventures Bonaire, are training to become "coral lovers," as reef conservationists are called. As part of this, they are learning to install, care for and monitor the new and transplanted corals, which can grow up to five centimeters every six months. They will then show guests participating in the educational dives how to hang the coral on the trees and to clean and maintain corals.
"We want to give everyone the opportunity to participate in helping these beautiful and important undersea habitats continue to thrive," said Jean-Marc Petin, General Manager of Harbour Village Beach Club. Proceeds from the $45 per-person fee will go to the Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire.
Harbour Village Beach Club is located on a four-acre private peninsula on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, recipient of the Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization Sustainable Tourism Award. It was designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as having the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean. For 19 consecutive years in Scuba Diving magazine's annual Readers' Choice Awards, Bonaire has been named the top Shore Diving destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic. This year, it was voted one of the Best Destinations Overall--the very best for Marine and Macro life, and for Snorkeling in the Reader's Choice Awards.
Due to the island's leeward location outside of the hurricane belt, and its consistently pleasant climate, crystal-clear visibility prevails at any depth and gives an enthralling view of the undersea landscape. The resort offers dive courses for all ages and levels, in addition to unique programs such as florescence night diving, allowing guests to use special UV lights to see the astounding array of florescent colors emitted by underwater animals and corals. In addition to coral reefs, Harbour Village guests can explore dive sites just off shore that include the shipwreck of the 60-foot "Our Confidence," located just 50 yards out.
For more information on Bonaire and Harbour Village Beach Club, visit the luxury hotel's website at http://www.harbourvillage.com/ or call 1-800-424-0004.
About Harbour Village Beach Club
Harbour Village Beach Club is located within an exclusive beachfront enclave on the unspoiled Caribbean island of Bonaire. Its well-appointed guest suites are nestled amid lush tropical gardens, just steps from its private, white-sand beach, and feature opulent decor and thoughtful details like secluded lanais and double hammocks. Amenities include a First Class 5 Star PADI Instructor Development Center offering onsite scuba classes and certification and a picturesque, 64-slip marina. The resort is also home to the acclaimed La Balandra restaurant, designed after an antique Spanish ship and giving the feeling of sailing with its dining deck located on a jetty extending out to sea, as well as a full-service spa offering professional reflexology, aromatherapy, therapeutic and relaxing couples massage. Harbour Village Beach Club was named Bonaire's Leading Hotel for nine years and is Bonaire's only member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
About Bonaire
Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the island of Bonaire offers year round sunshine, low annual rainfall, and has been designated as having the most pristine coral reef environment and most species of fish in the Caribbean by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. The Reef Environmental Education Foundation lists eight out of almost 90 of Bonaire's dive sites in their top 10 in terms of species richness in the Caribbean -- abundant underwater life includes more than 300 species of tropical fish and over 120 different types of coral. The island was recently voted #1 in the Caribbean & Atlantic by readers of Scuba Diving magazine in categories that include Best Shore Diving (Snorkeling); Best Beginner Diving; Best Macro Diving; Best Advanced Diving, and Best Underwater Photography. Bonaire is able to maintain this environment and receive awards for diving year after year because its surrounding waters have been protected as the Bonaire National Marine Park for over 30 years.
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SOURCE: Luxury Marketing Partners International