Laser fluorescence excitation and depletion spectra of the BAr van der Waals complex, In the spectral region around the B atomic 2s2p(2 2)D <-- 2s(2)2p P-2 transition at 208.9 nm, are reported. The fluorescence excitation spectrum displays a series of structured bands, whose excited levels are weakly bound (less than or equal to 60 cm(-1)), and an unstructured continuum to the blue. The onset of the latter allows determination of the ground state dissociation energy D-0 " = 102.4 +/- 0.3 cm(-1). The fluorescence depletion spectrum reveals, in addition, bands at lower wave numbers to a strongly bound, predissociating state, assigned as C-2 Delta. The bands observed by fluorescence excitation are assigned to the (DII)-I-2, E-2 Sigma(+) -(XII)-I-2 transitions. The derived spectroscopic data are used to construct potential energy curves for the C-2 Delta and (DII)-I-2 states. The predissociation of the C-2 Delta state is due to spin-orbit coupling to a repulsive (II)-I-4 state correlating with the B(2s2p(2 4)P)+ Ar asymptote, as shown in the accompanying paper [K. Sohlberg and D. R. Yarkony, J. Chem. Phys. 106, 6607 (1997)]. A weak nonradiative decay process is also observed for the (DII)-I-2 state.