Carls Hill

Carl's Hill is a classic open-water reef wall at the northwestern tip of Klein Bonaire in the Bonaire National Marine Park. The site features a dramatic vertical wall dropping from a shallow reef into deeper water, with elkhorn and pillar corals on the reef top and sponges, gorgonians and soft corals encrusting the wall. A diverse fish community is attracted to the site; barracudas, bar jacks and schools of blue tangs are commonly reported, and dragon seahorses (Hippocampus reidi) are known to occur around broken corals and mooring lines. Depths range from about 6 to 10 m at the top of the wall down to roughly 30 to 40 m on the sandy slope. The dive is normally made from a moored boat buoy, descending along the wall and returning along the shallower reef. Visibility is usually very good, often over 20 m, and water temperatures are typically in the high 20s °C. Currents along the wall are generally light to moderate, though surge can be strong at times, so divers are cautioned against hugging the wall when currents increase. Occasional depths near 40 m make this site appropriate for advanced open-water certification or higher; there are no overhead caves or wrecks.