Oswaldo Royett

- Bonaire - Curazao, Netherlands - San Andres - Malpelo, Colombia Link: Os-Travel

The Hilma Hooker is a shipwreck in Bonaire in the Caribbean Netherlands. It is a popular wreck diving site. In the summer of 1984, the Hilma Hooker had engine problems at sea and was towed to the port of Kralendijk, Bonaire. It was already under surveillance by drug enforcement agencies. Docked at the Town Pier, local authorities boarded the ship for an inspection when her captain was unable to produce any of the requisite registration papers. A false bulkhead was discovered, and held within was 25,000 lb (11,000 kg) of marijuana. The Hilma Hooker and her crew were subsequently detained while the local authorities on Bonaire searched for the vessel's owners, who were never found. The Hilma Hooker came to rest on a sand flat between two coral reef systems in an area known to divers as Angel City. The wreck has subsequently become a prime attraction fo...

He has spent the greater part of his life in Bonaire taking visitors diving and successfully campaigning to protect the natural underwater wonders. Among his many accomplishments, Captain Don lead the campaign to ban spearfishing on Bonaire, instituted the first permanent mooring system which eliminated the need for boats to drop an anchor, founded the Council of underwater Operators, and implemented a mandatory orientation dive for all people diving on Bonaire. He is also responsible for opening the first hotel on the island, Zeebad, (which is now the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort, and in 1976 he opened Captain Don’s Habitat, which introduced capse concept of “diving freedom,” diving 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. His contributions have been recognised by DEMA with the 1998 Reaching Out award, and by Bonaire with a bronze memorial plaque placed at Don’s Reef. Research provided by Cathy Church. In the early days of recreational diving, inspired by spectacular underwater beauty...

Gotomeer is a saltwater lagoon near the island's northern end and it is a flamingo hangout. Bonaire is one of the few places in the world where pink flamingos nest. The shy, spindly-leg creatures, affectionately called "pink clouds", are magnificent birds to observe. The best time to catch them at home is January to June, when they tend to their gray-plumed young. For the best view take the paved access road alongside the lagoon through the jungle of cactus to the parking and observation area on the rise overlooking the lagoon and Washington Slagbaai National Park beyond.

These huts were constructed in 1850 during the slavery time, and served as camping facilities for slaves working in the salt ponds to collect and ship the salt, one of Bonaire's most important export product. These huts were used as sleeping quarters and place to put away personal belongings of the working team. Each Friday afternoon the slaves walked seven hours to Rincon to weekend with their families, returning each Sunday. Four Obelisks on Bonaire were used as navigational shore markers to guide ships coming in to load. The obelisks were painted red, white, blue and orange (the colours of the Dutch flag).

Bonaire is an island in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Together with Aruba and Curaçao, it forms the group known as the ABC islands, located off the north coast of South America near the western part of Venezuela. Curaçao, f ormally called the  Country of Curaçao ,  it includes the main island and the uninhabited island of  Klein Curaçao  ("Little Curaçao"). It has a  population  of over 150,000 on an area of 444 km 2  (171 sq mi) and its capital is  Willemstad .