How deep is Carl's Hill?

Carl's Hill has a depth range of 5–40 metres (16–131 feet). Check the dive site page for current conditions and any depth-specific guidance before planning your dive.

Can beginners dive Carl's Hill?

Carl's Hill is rated as intermediate difficulty, which may not suit new divers. A Open Water; Advanced for the deeper wall certification or equivalent is suggested. Consider your experience level, conditions, and local guidance before planning.

When is the best time to dive Carl's Hill?

The best time to dive Carl's Hill is typically Year-round; outstanding for photography and macro life.. Conditions vary, so check the latest reports and forecasts on the dive site page before your trip.

What will I see at Carl's Hill?

Divers at Carl's Hill in Bonaire commonly report sightings of Tube sponges, Seahorse, Frogfish, Hawksbill turtle, and Green moray eel. Marine life varies by season and conditions—check the site page for recent diver observations and photos.

Add the first photo

IntermediateBoat entry

Carl's Hill

Bonaire, Bonaire

Open Water suggestedWall drop-off to 40m+ - depth discipline5–40 m depthBoat entryRash guard or 2mm shorty typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Carl's Hill at a glance

Carl's Hill is a intermediate boat dive site in Bonaire, Bonaire with depths of 5–40 m (16–131 ft). Typically most favorable Sep · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Tube sponges, Seahorse, and Frogfish. Recent reports put the water around 28°C (83°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 3h ago

0.8 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 28°C · seasonal avg 28°C

Site hazards: Wall drop-off to 40m+ - depth discipline · Boat-access only (Klein Bonaire)

All 2 hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Tue

Sun7:00–20:00

Mon7:00–20:00

Tue7:00–20:00

Wed7:00–20:00

Thu7:00–11:00

Fri7:00–11:00

Sat7:00–19:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:56 · Sunrise 6:18 · Sunset 19:00

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 5.2 km from site · graded 3h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: Tube sponges, Hawksbill turtle, Queen angelfish

Best time: Year-round; outstanding for photography and macro life.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

Jan41%27°C1.4 m
Feb39%27°C1.5 m
Mar44%27°C1.4 m
Apr41%27°C1.3 m
May42%28°C1.4 m
Jun17%28°C1.5 m
Jul16%28°C1.4 m
Aug58%29°C1.2 m
Sep70%30°C1.2 m
Oct70%30°C1.1 m
Nov53%29°C1.3 m
Dec46%28°C1.4 m

September hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life recorded at this site, by month

Recorded observations — evidence of past sightings, not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Tube spongesCommonly seen
SeahorseOccasionally seen
FrogfishRarely seen
Hawksbill turtleCommonly seen
Green moray eelOccasionally seen
Queen angelfishCommonly seen
Spotted eagle rayOccasionally seen
Stoplight parrotfishCommonly seen

Canthidermis maculata recorded here Nov (1 record)
most recent 2013
Centropyge argi recorded here Nov (1 record)
most recent 2013
Chaetodon capistratus recorded here Nov (1 record)
most recent 2013
Chaetodon ocellatus recorded here Nov (1 record)
most recent 2013
Chaetodon striatus recorded here Nov (1 record)
most recent 2013
Chrysiptera parasema recorded here Nov (1 record)
most recent 2013
Epinephelus itajara recorded here Dec (1 record)
most recent 2012
Gorgonia ventalina recorded here Nov (1 record)
most recent 2013

Counts are occurrence records near this site from public biodiversity datasets (GBIF), grouped by calendar month across all sampled years. Sightings vary — past records are context, not a prediction.

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Wannadive Scubadiving1.0 km
+599 717 8884 wannadive.com info@wannadive.com
Mo-Su 08:00-17:00 hours from OpenStreetMap — call ahead
Report a fix
Dive Friends Bonaire @ SD1.1 km
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Dive Friends Bonaire Retail1.1 km
Report a fix
Dive Friends1.3 km
divefriendsbonaire.com
Report a fix
Dive Friends Bonaire @ YS1.4 km
Report a fix
Bonaire Scuba School1.9 km
+599 777 7633 bonairescubaschool.com dive@bonairescubaschool.com
Mo-Su 08:00-17:00 hours from OpenStreetMap — call ahead
Report a fix
Your Scuba Store2.0 km
Report a fix
Xprodiver2.1 km
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Dive Friends Bonaire2.7 km
+599 717 2929 dive-friends-bonaire.com
Report a fix
AB Dive3.4 km
ab-dive.com
Report a fix
Dive Friends Bonaire @ PB3.6 km
divefriendsbonaire.com
Report a fix
Dive Friends Bonaire4.7 km
Report a fix

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Site details

Carl's Hill, on the northwest of Klein Bonaire, is a celebrated boat dive named for underwater photographer Carl Roessler, featuring shallow coral gardens that fall away to a vertical wall around 40m. The drop-off is densely covered in tube sponges, gorgonians and corals, making it one of the island's richest sites for both wide-angle and macro photography. Seahorses, frogfish, turtles and morays are regular finds.

boatreefwall

Wall drop-off to 40m+ - depth discipline

Boat-access only (Klein Bonaire)

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