Twenty Years of Cleaning Bonaire’s Reefs: Dive Friends Bonaire Celebrates Milestone Conservation Effort

For two decades, Dive Friends Bonaire has been bringing divers together with one shared goal: keeping Bonaire’s reefs clean. Since launching its Quarterly Clean Up Dive in 2005, the company has organized approximately 80 community cleanups, making it one of the island’s longest-running underwater conservation initiatives.

Every three months, local residents, visiting divers, and Dive Friends Bonaire staff come together to remove marine debris from Bonaire’s shoreline and reefs. Every item collected is recorded and submitted to the PADI AWARE Dive Against Debris® program, contributing valuable data that helps researchers better understand the sources and impact of marine debris around the world.

Over the years, thousands of volunteers have participated in the cleanups, removing many thousands of pieces of debris from Bonaire’s marine environment. From discarded fishing line and beverage containers to plastics and other marine litter, every item removed helps protect the island’s coral reefs and the marine life that depends on them.

“Our Quarterly Clean Up Dive has become much more than an event on the calendar,” said Jeroen Scheper, Marketing Manager at Dive Friends Bonaire. “It’s part of who we are as a company. Seeing our staff, local community, and visiting divers come together every quarter for the past twenty years is something we’re incredibly proud of. It shows how much people care about protecting Bonaire’s reefs.”

The cleanups also reflect Dive Friends Bonaire’s broader commitment to conservation. Alongside organizing regular reef cleanups, the company continues to promote responsible diving practices, supports reef monitoring initiatives, and encourages every guest to leave Bonaire’s underwater world better than they found it.

Each Quarterly Clean Up Dive concludes with a community BBQ, giving volunteers an opportunity to share stories, celebrate the day’s accomplishments, and strengthen the friendships that have become part of the event over the years.

“None of this would be possible without our incredible volunteers,” Scheper added. “Many people have joined us year after year, and new participants continue to show up every quarter. Their enthusiasm and dedication are what have made this initiative successful for twenty years.”

As Dive Friends Bonaire looks ahead, the mission remains unchanged. By continuing to organize quarterly cleanups, collect valuable debris data through PADI AWARE, and inspire divers to care for the ocean, the company hopes the next twenty years will make an even greater impact than the first.