Caves

There are many cave formations found on Bonaire. Several are readily accessible while others lie hidden and filled with water. They are a crucial part of the island’s ecosystem. The caves that are filled with water are part of an extensive aquifer that is used to help the farmers grow crops and the shallower formations serve as a water source for feral goats and donkeys. The other mammals that benefit are the numerous bats that spend their days hanging upside down in the caves until sunset. Then they swarm out for a night of eating, consuming mosquitoes and other insects! Other bats are working to sip the nectar from night blooming cactus and doing the same job that bees accomplish during the day. By spreading pollen the bats play an important role in keeping the ecosystem operating!