Summer Immersion Program

June 29th - July 10th, 2025

The Mission: Networked Open SciencE & Coral Restoration

Bonaire, an island municipality of the Netherlands, lies off Venezuela’s coast in the southern Caribbean. Its reef-lined coast is protected by Bonaire National Marine Park. Beyond its rich marine life, the island shelters lizards, donkeys and birds within its immense Washington Slagbaai National Park, marked by beaches, lagoons, caverns and desert-like hills.

Our experienced team has been leading expeditions to Bonaire for High-School students to the island since 2016.

The MISSION: Coral Reef Restoration

Students on this expedition learn the techniques needed to work in a coral nursery and how to out-plant coral on a restored reef. Students who complete the training will earn a coral reef restoration certification allowing them to work on restoration projects around the world.

The MISSION: Networked Open Science

Students on this expedition will also be trained as research divers, completing multiple surveys during the trip. One of these surveys will be at a smart data buoy deployed to advance ocean sampling. Students will assist with the updates to the hardware, and pair indicator species data to the site.

WHALEFALL is a nonprofit organization that connects a global student network to leaders in climate action, advancing real solutions and real impact through project-based learning.

At WHALEFALL, we believe in a world where students from across the globe come together as a unified force, harnessing their collective knowledge and passion to tackle real environmental challenges. Our mission is to inspire the next generation to lead purposeful lives dedicated to preserving and enhancing our planet's ecosystems. Just as a whalefall enriches the deep-sea environment, our network empowers students to collaborate on impactful solutions that sustainably nurture and protect the natural world for generations to come.

Training & Certifications

  • Open Water Diver Track

    Students who are not yet scuba certified divers will be on the Open Water Diver track. Open Water Certification will be issued as a pre-requisite to the coral restoration training.

  • Advanced Diver Track

    Previously scuba certified students will be on the Advanced Diver track. These students will complete additional training in night diving, nitrox, and deep diving.

Optional Nitrox Diver Course

Diving nitrox is highly recommended on all expeditions. The higher percentage of oxygen means less nitrogen in your gas mixes. Less micro bubbles of nitrogen is always going to be be a positive thing. Typically the only downside of diving nitrox is the added gas fill cost, however all nitrox fills are no additional charge on this trip. Advanced divers are pre-enrolled in the nitrox course. Open water students have the option to enroll in the Nitrox course for an additional certification.

Local Students from Jong Bonaire

In partnership with the Murphy Henar Foundation, WHALEFALL has been training local students from Jong Bonaire  to become research divers and dive masters, allowing the local community to monitor the health of their own reef, restore their own coral, and develop new career opportunities. A WHALEFALL nonprofit campaign for the students in Bonaire is currently raising funds so students from the US and Bonaire can train together on the trip.

Pre-Trip Training

Marine ID Online Training

  • The Bonaire fish ID eLearning will be available on the Area9 Platform. The online training will take approx. 4 hours. If you would like to learn even more fish, please reach out for bonus material.

  • Your instructional staff has access to your eLearning progress. You do not need to submit the final exam for this part of the training.

  • Set-up a free account on REEF https://www.reef.org/user/register

    This is where you will upload your survey data. Please make not of your REEF member number as you will need it on the boat in Bonaire.

Scuba eLearning & Review

  • Students will be assigned a unique code to redeem on the SDI website page: www.tdisdi.com/elearning.

    Open Water Track students will receive 1 online code. (Two if enrolled in the optional nitrox course)

    Advanced Track students will receive a nitrox, deep and night diving codes.

    The online training will take approx. 8 hours. All online training is due by June 13th.

  • Please upload a signed copy of your final exam for each online training here.

    Please upload the final exam you sign and not the certificate from SDI. Example

  • Enter your unique elearning code at: http://www.tdisdi.com/elearning

    OPEN WATER TRACK CODES:

    Kira: ZKXZ1M9SX731RMMKIQ

    Tavake: T6BPUVVXJATX6IUAJT

    Jayden: L45SIMUI53Z788PJL9

    ADVANCED TRACK CODES:

Dive Equipment

  • Rental scuba gear

    The following equipment is included in the price of the expedition: Research Diving Equipment, Underwater Camera, 3mm Wetsuit, BCD, Regulator, Dive Computer, Safety Equipment, Essential Dive Gear, 90L Duffle, and Underwater Lights for advanced track students. Tanks and Weights will be available on location. Students & families are responsible for the replacement value if lost or damaged.

    Pease visit for optional, but recommended items like boots, reef safe sunscreen and ear shield.

    Reserve Your Sizes

  • ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR PURCHASE

    Students prefer to have their own essential basic dive equipment. Gear is available through partner dive centers for students at a discounted rate.

    Essential dive gear includes a mask, snorkel, fins, boots, mesh bag, and surface marker buoy.

    Purchase Student Package

Trip Details

  • The team at WHALEFALL has been working diligently to reduce the cost of the Summer Immersion program for all students. Through community support the cost has been lowered from $6,900 to the current price of $5,900 for all students. If you require additional financial support please complete the application below to start the process.

    The cost of the Summer Immersion is based on two students per room. A single room is available for an extra cost.

    A $3000 deposit is due to reserve a space in the summer immersion.

  • WHALEFALL offers sliding scale tuition assistance for the summer immersion program based on financial need.

    Please use this form to request tuition assistance

    • WHALEFALL Educational Curriculum

    • 4-1 Instructor Ratios for In-Water Training

    • Resort Accommodations & Airport Transportation

    • 3 meals daily

    • Boat Dives

    • Equipment Rental

    • Complimentary wireless internet access

    • Donkey Sanctuary Tour

    • Mangrove Kayak

    • Dive Training & Certifications

  • If you would like to travel with the chaperone, and are in the Bay Area, below is the flight information.

    Current Group Price: Approx. $800/person. Prices range from $750 - $2,000 for this flight.

    AMERICAN AIRLINES

    SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2025 (+1):

    AA799 SFO 11:50PM - MIA 8:34AM, AA3164 MIA 10:25AM -BON 1:50PM

    WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 - JULY 10, 2025

    AA 2691 BON 3:20PM - MIA 6:30PM AA 669 MIA 9:29PM - LAX 11:58PM AA6451 LAX 7:00AM - SFO 8:36AM

LOCAL INFO

  • POWER: The Resort has 110V US compatible plugs

    INTERNET: the resort has wireless internet access in rooms and common areas

    CURRENCY: USD

    FRESH WATER: All the water on the island is reverse osmosis and safe to drink.

    PAID LAUNDRY SERVICE: If you would like to do laundry during your stay, please contact the front desk for options.

    EMERGENCY AND HEALTH INFORMATION: The emergency phone number is 911. A Defibrillator and Oxygen are located at the dive shop.

    DECOMPRESSION CHAMBER: A hyperbaric recompression chamber is located adjacent to the hospital and isun by a highly trained staff admittance via the emergency room at the hospital. Hospitaal San Francisco, Kaya Soeur Bartola #2, Kralendijk Tel: +599 717 8900

    WEATHER: Generally, you can expect lots of sunshine with occasional clouds and a nice trade wind breeze! In the winter, the average land temperature is 79°F (26°C), rising to an average of 90°F (30°C) in the summer. Don’t forget your reef safe sunscreen!

    WATER BOTTLES: There are no recycling facilities on Bonaire, so please help us protect the environment by refilling your water bottles.

    LANGUAGE: The official language on Bonaire is Dutch, but English and Spanish are widely spoken on island. Another language you will come across is Papiamentu, exclusively spoken on the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). Papiamentu is a mixture of many languages, including Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, French, English, Caribbean Indian and various African languages.

  • Coming Soon

Don’t Forget

  • Passport (Expiration date more than six months from trip)

    Reef Safe Sunscreen

    Ear Spray

    A Dive Log System

    Certification Card - Advanced Divers

  • Open Water Track Students Paperwork Download

    Please submit your paperwork by May 30th. You can 1. Deliver to Ms. Bitter in person. 2. Mail a scanned packet to vsmith@whalefall.ngo or 3. Mail to: WHALEFALL 1577 C St. Ste. 105-54037, Anchorage, AK, 9950

DECOMPRESSION DAY

Diving requires a 24 hour surface interval before flying home. Students will visit a local donkey sanctuary for rescued animals in Bonaire (Student Bonus Question: Why is this important for the coral reefs?)

The group will also kayak through mangroves to snorkel in a fish nursery.


RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Reserve your space in the experience below with a deposit. Space is limited. If we do not meet the minimum number of students required to run this experience as described 100% of deposits will be returned promptly.

Questions

Contact Vincent Smith at VSMITH@whalefall.ngo