Goto Meer (Goto Lake)

One of the best places to see the flamingos in Southern Caribbean is Goto Meer in Bonaire.

Former sea bay

This lake (155 ha) is former sea bay, divided from the sea with some 70 m wide bar of corals.

The water in the lake is salty – most likely there is ongoing some water exchange with the sea through the porous limestone, lake also does not have any significant freshwater inlets and the salt may have accumulated here over the time.

Goto Meer offers a beautiful scenery – from the roads around the lake opens a nice view on the lake with its small islands and nearly pristine nature around it. Bonaire has dry climate and here has developed a dry forest with numerous enormous cacti.

Lake is located in Washington-Slagbaai National Park, since 1980 it is also Ramsar site – a wetland of international importance.

General tourists are not allowed to access the lake in most places.

Flamingos

In the swampy lake live several hundreds of Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber). This is one of the best places in Southern Caribbean to see them – only the wast plains of Pekelmeer in the south of Bonaire have more flamingos, more than 6,500.

In Goto Meer lives the food source for flamingos and more than 100 other species of birds – brine fly and its larvae. Flamingos get their beautiful pink color from their food.

The breeding season of Flamingos lasts from January to July every years. A beautiful sight can be observed then every day – all the flock of flamingos take off to nearby Venezuela, where they feed in lagoons along the coast of Falcón peninsula.

References

1. Jeff Wells, Adolphe Debrot. Important Bird Areas, Bonaire, accessed on April 15, 2012

Goto Meer (Goto Lake) on the map

Location, GPS coordinates:	34.73221 N 68.375309 W
Categories:	Ecosystems, Lakes and streams
Values:	Biology
Rating:	(1.5 / 5)
Where is located?	North America, Caribbean, Bonaire, northern part of the island, north-western coast
Area:	˜ 155 ha
Alternate names:	Gotomeer, Goto Lagoon, Lagun Goto, Goto Lake, Salina Goto
Interesting species:	Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber)

Landmarks of Bonaire

Most tourists come to Binaire for the numerous spectacular dive sites, while above the sea here is not that much to see. The dry land here has some interesting natural landmarks – mainly the impressive flamingo habitats in salt lakes and some petroglyph sites in caves and cliff shelters.

Ecosystems

Biotope is rather small area with uniform environmental conditions and specific community of life. Wondermondo describes biotopes and ecosystems which have striking looks, look very beautiful or have other unusual characteristics.

Recommended books

Bonaire Dive Map & Reef Creatures Guide

This colorful guide is perfect for divers, snorkelers and nature lovers! Side One is a mini-map of Bonaire, with nearly 90 dive and snorkel sites named and located. Side Two is a fish identification guide with more than 100 species of colorful reef creatures beautifully illustrated.

Bonaire

Here is a brand new edition of our guide to Bonaire. Touring the island, details on all of the beaches, diving & snorkeling, boating, fishing, hiking & biking – it’s all covered. And then the hotels and restaurants are described – the good features and the bad ones, along with all of the information you need about shopping and nightlife on the island.