Karpata
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?
About this site
Karpata is a reef on the northern coast of Bonaire, at the end of the one-way section of the coastal road, where the ruins of a yellow aloe plant mark the spot. The reef has hard coral formations, steep ravines and overhanging ledges, with soft and hard corals growing over the steep walls.
Karpata Plantation was once a busy anchorage, and ships that could not recover their anchors left them behind. The lost anchors and chains are now part of the reef. A centuries-old anchor lies on the southeast side, and the anchor fields run from about 60 m (200 ft) down to 120 m (400 ft), where the chains lead to a large old anchor, so the deep end is for technical divers.
Visibility can reach 40 m (130 ft), which suits wide-angle photography. Large groups of barracuda patrol the blue and sea turtles pass through the shallows, and reef sharks and nurse sharks are sometimes seen. The site can see strong current.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
Reef sharkReef sharkReported here · unconfirmed
Nurse SharkGinglymostoma cirratumReported here · unconfirmed
Stoplight ParrotfishSparisoma virideReported here · unconfirmed
Queen ParrotfishScarus vetulaReported here · unconfirmed
Lobed Star CoralOrbicella annularisReported here · unconfirmed
Caribbean Bluehead WrasseThalassoma bifasciatumReported here · unconfirmed
Western Atlantic TrumpetfishAulostomus maculatusReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed
Princess ParrotfishScarus taeniopterusReported here · unconfirmed
Blue ChromisAzurina cyaneaReported here · unconfirmed
Mustard Hill CoralPorites astreoidesReported here · unconfirmed
Nurse sharkNurse sharkReported here · unconfirmed
LionfishLionfishReported here · unconfirmed
BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
No notes yet. Dived here? Be the first to leave a tip.
Share a write-up or a photo. Submissions are reviewed before they appear on the page.
Nearby dive sites
Shops that dive here
No shops have listed this site yet.