Jong Bonaire - Capt. Don

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Jong Bonaire -- the teen center of
Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean

Capt. Don is as busy as ever
with his ornamental plant nursery
and writing a novel

Capt. Don
thanks to Don, Bonaire remains the great diving spot he found almost 40 years ago
Capt. Don Stewart has often been called the father of the Bonaire diving industry and also of many of the world's reef preservation efforts. He landed on Bonaire in 1962 and the rest, as they say, is history. You can read his story in "The Adventures of Capt. Don" which was published in 1994 and is guaranteed 85% true.

Writing and planting
When Capt. Don surfaced from diving in 1990, at age 65, he decided it was time to apply his hand to land-based projects. Along with his partner Janet, the captain moved to a kunuku (farm) and began developing some of his other passions: writing novels and short stories, creating natural gardens and growing the appropriate plants for them.

Capt. Don took several old Apple II computers with him for his writing and for years kept one running by scavenging parts from the others. He's been through a number of computers since then, as he churns out not only short stories and novels but also ideas for dealing with island issues. For his 75th birthday last year the resort that bears his name gave him a new iMac to keep the stories flowing.

Don is an author at heart

he's also a
world-class tinkerer

Jan raises chickens and ducks
and keeps the books, too

No water or electricity
When he moved to the farm Don had to create his own water and energy systems since the farm has no utility service. He rebuilt an existing adobe storage building into a comfortable caretaker's cottage which boasts no glass windows or screens. Why like this? "Because we are in tune with our environment here," says Don.

To sustain his ornamental plant nursery, Don developed a sophisticated automated drip irrigation system with thousands of drippers. His Island Growers company has installed hundreds of these systems at many of the hotels and private homes on the island. Meanwhile, Janet raises chickens and ducks and sells the island's tastiest eggs.

"Natural" landscaping
Capt. Don has over 8,500 square meters devoted to propagating and growing species appropriate to the island. These days he's growing hundreds of "sedar" trees because they have proven very adaptable to Bonaire's conditions. Almost 20 years ago Don brought six Neem trees from Haiti because he had seen these growing on barren hills there. The Neem, which produces a natural insecticide, can now be found in most island yards. The Neems on Don's kunuku help keep down the insect population.

the grounds are filled with ornamental plants that love the Bonairean environment

thanks for the great garden,
Capt. Don
Another legacy of Capt. Don
As you look around Bonaire today you'll see a number of cactus gardens created by Capt. Don that are so "natural" they don't seem to be planned at all. The one at Jong Bonaire is a good example of his design style that he calls "self creating." The results, thanks to the "wicked mind's eye of Capt. Don" are a joy.

Capt. Don's Island Growers

Look for the dive flag on the road to Lagoen

Go back

Go back

Capt. Don took several old Apple II computers with him for his writing and for years kept one running by scavenging parts from the others. He's been through a number of computers since then, as he churns out not only short stories and novels but also ideas for dealing with island issues. For his 75th birthday last year the resort that bears his name gave him a new iMac to keep the stories flowing.	Don is an author at heart
he's also a world-class tinkerer Jan raises chickens and ducks and keeps the books, too	No water or electricity When he moved to the farm Don had to create his own water and energy systems since the farm has no utility service. He rebuilt an existing adobe storage building into a comfortable caretaker's cottage which boasts no glass windows or screens. Why like this? "Because we are in tune with our environment here," says Don. To sustain his ornamental plant nursery, Don developed a sophisticated automated drip irrigation system with thousands of drippers. His Island Growers company has installed hundreds of these systems at many of the hotels and private homes on the island. Meanwhile, Janet raises chickens and ducks and sells the island's tastiest eggs.
"Natural" landscaping Capt. Don has over 8,500 square meters devoted to propagating and growing species appropriate to the island. These days he's growing hundreds of "sedar" trees because they have proven very adaptable to Bonaire's conditions. Almost 20 years ago Don brought six Neem trees from Haiti because he had seen these growing on barren hills there. The Neem, which produces a natural insecticide, can now be found in most island yards. The Neems on Don's kunuku help keep down the insect population.	the grounds are filled with ornamental plants that love the Bonairean environment
thanks for the great garden, Capt. Don	Another legacy of Capt. Don As you look around Bonaire today you'll see a number of cactus gardens created by Capt. Don that are so "natural" they don't seem to be planned at all. The one at Jong Bonaire is a good example of his design style that he calls "self creating." The results, thanks to the "wicked mind's eye of Capt. Don" are a joy.