Bonaire · Caribbean Netherlands · Wreck · Reef
Hilma Hooker
A freighter on her side at 30 metres, reached from the road
Photo: amanderson2 · CC BY 2.0
The Hilma Hooker is a cargo ship lying on her starboard side on the sand between two reefs, in the stretch divers call Angel City. A false bulkhead aboard was found to hold 11,000 kg of marijuana, and on 12 September 1984 she rolled over and sank. The hull now rests at about 30 metres and is reached from the shore or from one of three moorings.
Also known as Midsland, Mistral, William Express.
Where it is and how deep
12.1051° N, 68.2885° WPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
However you arrive, the dive begins on the reef slope and the hull appears below on the sand at about 30 metres, lying on her starboard side, so the deck stands in front of you as a wall of plating rather than sitting under you as a floor. Depth is the whole constraint here: at 30 metres the bottom time is short, the site is rated to 40, and the ascent has to be planned before you leave the surface rather than worked out on the wreck.
Swim the length of the hull at a depth you have decided in advance, then come up onto one of the two reefs either side of the sand flat for the shallow part of the dive. The cargo holds, air shafts and wheelhouse are open, but penetration is only for divers with a trained local guide. Tarpon and barracuda hold around the structure in numbers, frogfish and lionfish sit on the plating, and eagle rays and stingrays cross the sand alongside her.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Hilma Hooker
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Length
- 71.78 m (235 ft)
- Built
- 1951
- Sunk
- 1984
- Cause
- Rolled over and sank at anchor in 1984 after being seized with 11,000 kg of marijuana aboard
- Lies
- On her starboard side on a sand flat between two reefs, at Angel City, at about 30 m
She was launched on 21 May 1951 as Midsland, built at the Van der Giessen de Noord shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel in the Netherlands, and changed names five times after that: Mistral in 1964, William Express in 1967, Anna C. in 1975, Doric Express in 1976 and finally Hilma Hooker in 1979. A false bulkhead was discovered aboard, holding 25,000 lb (11,000 kg) of marijuana. On 12 September 1984 she rolled over onto her starboard side and, within two minutes, disappeared.
Marine life and season
- Frogfish
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Bonaire: The sea stays diveable all year; the water is at its coolest in late December and January.
Know before you go
- The wreck sits at about 30 metres with the site rated to 40, so narcosis and gas planning drive the dive; PADI lists it for experienced divers only.
- Penetration of the holds, air shafts and wheelhouse is permitted only in the company of a trained local guide.
Photos from Hilma Hooker
Kris Mikael Krister · CC BY 3.0
Dive videos
Bonaire's One Wreck: Diving the Hilma Hooker · Deep Dive With Ian on YouTube
Freediving Hilma Hooker with Carlos Coste - Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean · BonPhoto Bonaire on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Hilma Hooker?+
The wreck rests on the sand at about 30 metres and the site is rated to 40 metres, which puts it past the standard Open Water limit and keeps the bottom time short.
Can you go inside the Hilma Hooker?+
The cargo holds, air shafts and wheelhouse can be entered, but only on a dive led by a trained local guide.
Sources
- Hilma Hooker — Wikipedia
- Hilma Hooker dive site — PADI
- Diving Bonaire — Divezone
- Bonaire National Marine Park — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- Diver with camera swimming along the pipework of the capsized Hilma Hooker wreck by amanderson2, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black and white shot of two divers descending alongside the sunken Hilma Hooker hull by Kris Mikael Krister, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
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