ReeFiesta 2026 Brings 250+ Together for Coral Restoration.
On Saturday, May 30, Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire (RRFB) welcomed a record number of participants to its annual ReeFiesta event, bringing together 250 divers, snorkelers, volunteers, partner dive shop staff, sponsors, partners, and community members in support of Bonaire’s coral reefs.
Held at the start of World Oceans Month, ReeFiesta is RRFB’s largest annual community event and fundraiser. The event is designed to celebrate Bonaire’s reefs, raise awareness about the importance of coral restoration, and empower the community to play an active role in protecting and restoring these vital ecosystems.
The day began with island-wide restoration activities across 11 coral nurseries, where approximately 130 divers and 30 snorkelers joined RRFB staff and partner dive shop instructors to help maintain coral nursery trees and support ongoing restoration efforts. For many participants, it was their first opportunity to experience coral restoration firsthand, while others were longtime Reef Renewal volunteers.
The morning activities were made possible through the support of RRFB’s 17 partner dive shops: AB-Dive, Beyond the Corals, Buddy Dive, Carib Inn, Dive Friends, Divi Dive, Flamingo Diving, Harbour Village, Scuba Do, Scuba Elite, Technical Diving Services, Toucan Diving, Tropical Divers, VIP Diving, WannaDive, Xpro Divers, and 4Wheel Diving.
In the evening, participants gathered at Van der Valk Plaza Resort for a community celebration and fundraiser featuring educational activities, games, a coral reef trivia competition, and a raffle and silent auction. Guests also heard remarks from several conservation leaders and partners on the island, including RRFB Executive Director Francesca Virdis, Director of STINAPA Bonaire Melissa van Hoorn, Dutch Caribbean Program Lead for WWF-NL Roxanne Francisca, and Executive Director of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) Arno Verhoeven.
A special highlight of the evening was an instructor recognition ceremony honoring several longtime Reef Renewal instructors at partner dive shops for their years of dedication to coral restoration. These instructors have collectively taught hundreds of Reef Renewal Diver courses, assisted with countless nursery maintenance, outplanting, and coral spawning activities, and served as ambassadors for coral restoration throughout Bonaire’s dive community.
As RRFB’s largest fundraiser of the year, proceeds from raffle ticket sales, coral adoptions, merchandise purchases, and donations made during the event will directly support ongoing coral restoration efforts on Bonaire.
