The Pekelmeer Bonaire
Breeding ground Bonaire flamingos!
The Pekelmeer, with the flamingo sanctuary in the middle of it, is one of only four (!) areas in the world where flamingos breed! This salt lake, like the artificial salt pans, has a deep pink color that stands out sharply against the white salt flats and salt mountains.
The flamingo’s color
This color can also be found in the Bonaire flamingos feather, which is no coincidence: there is an abundance of small, pink salt shrimps and micro-organisms in the water that have turned pink by algae, bacteria and beta-carotene. The flamingo eats these organisms and comes to its beautiful pink color, making the Caribbean flamingo the most colorful of all flamingo species. The flamingo sanctuary is home to more than ten thousand Bonaire flamingos.
Restricted area
Tourists are not allowed in this reserve, but the birds can be watched with binoculars from the road, near Pink Beach. The resting place also attracts dozens of other bird species, including the osprey, cormorants, herons and frigate birds.