The previously unknown life cycles of two species of insect-eating bats have been determined for Bonaire by this project. We found these species at a cave located in the Bakuna area, where scientific research was never conducted before. We defined the yearly patterns of use of this cave by 3 different bat species that inhabit it. We did this by conducting…
Despite their ecological importance (see Caves and Karst fauna), bat populations on Bonaire are threatened by uncontrolled visits to the caves that they use as daily and maternity roosts. Female bats on Caribbean islands give birth to only one offspring per year after a long pregnancy. For some species, the entire island population could be…
We are very happy to announce that the First Bonaire Caves & Karst Tour Guide Course was successfully accomplished and we now count with 13 CARIBSS-certified cave tour guides on Bonaire. The course took place in the facilities of Caribbean Club Bonaire, Bonaire Chamber of Commerce, and the recently established Bonaire Caves & Karst Park, between the 7th and 21st of June of 2019.
Four-day course (morning/afternoon classes) 29 h classes One-day forum Dates: 7th, 8th, 13th, 14th, 21st June 2019 Maximum student capacity: 12 The Island of Bonaire is rich in sinkholes and caves, many of them still unexplored. These natural beauties are, on one hand, invaluable reservoirs of natural resources, ecological interactions and ecosystem services; and on…
The Bat Conservation Program for the ABC islands (PPRABC), a member of the Caribbean Speleological Society, received today a pick up truck donated by the foundation Dieren Lot. The truck will be used for work related to the conservation of bats and their habitats. This donation came in perfect timing for the Caves and Karst…
Thank you everybody involved on our first Cave Clean-Up, it was a wild success besides a lot of fun!. 80% of the trash is already out of the cave. Hoping to get some heavy machinery to remove the old car and some other heavy pieces for our next run. Will be contacting Selibon and Bonaire…
Faroa Cave is a special cave for sure. There are several reasons that reinforce this sense of uniqueness. First, its remote location and really tricky access, with rough seas, no proper sea access points and severe restricted passages, had kept this cave hidden and unknown to the world. Secondly, it treasures a few wonders in…
If you ever heard somebody saying that Bonaire is like a “Gruyere cheese”, you better believe it! Most of the island is limestone, a soft sedimentary rock that is easily weathered by water courses. Rainfall, underground water and the sea itself can dig through it, creating a variety of geological formations and karst landscapes. Pos…
Bonaire, being an island composed mainly of limestone rocks, shows a number of geological formations, caverns, karst ridges and caves among others. There is a number of reports and surveys of the inland caves that can be found across the island, but there is little information about the undersea geological formations. This is mainly due…