Bonaire · Caribbean Netherlands · Reef · Wall
Karpata
Steep coral buttresses and sand channels to 45 metres
Photo: SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
Karpata is the classic drop-off at the north end of Bonaire's leeward coast, a healthy reef of hard and soft coral where buttresses fall away steeply and sand channels run from the shallows to the bottom of the reef at 45 metres. Gorgonians and hard coral cluster in the shallows near the mooring, and the reef is known for massive elkhorn coral formations.
Also known as Karapata.
Where it is and how deep
12.2194° N, 68.3520° WPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
Get in at the staircase, using the cement platform to time the step down, and swim out over the shallow reef near the mooring buoy, where gorgonians and hard coral sit in good light. The reef then breaks into buttresses that drop steeply, separated by sand channels that run from the shallows all the way to the bottom of the reef at 45 metres. The site is rated to 50, so choose a depth on the surface and hold it.
Swim the drop-off in one direction along the coral, then turn and come back over the top of the reef for the shallow part of the dive. The reef is also known for its massive elkhorn coral formations. Barracuda and tarpon patrol the blue side, moray eels and shrimp work the coral, and the reef fish list runs long: angelfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, trumpetfish, groupers and snapper among them. Finish back at the staircase and use the platform to climb out.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Groupers
- Macro critters
- Pristine corals
| 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 drop-off runs to 45 metres with no natural stopping point, so set a depth limit before you get in and stay above it.
Photos from Karpata
SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
Diving Karpata Bonaire | The Shore Dive Collection | TropicLens - 4K · TropicLens on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Karpata?+
The sand channels run down to the bottom of the reef at 45 metres, and the site is rated to a maximum of 50 metres. The shallow reef near the mooring is where the coral is densest.
Sources
- Karpata dive site — PADI
- Diving Bonaire — Divezone
- Bonaire National Marine Park — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- Branching coral pillar rising from the shallow Karpata reef in clear blue water by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Butterflyfish swimming among low coral heads on the Karpata reef flat by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Close view of a coral head dotted with small red sponges near the surface by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
- Elkhorn-like coral formation with small fish sheltering among its branches by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- How much weight do you need to dive?Gear & kit · 8 min read
- DPV diving: what an underwater scooter changesGear & kit · 10 min read
More dive sites in Bonaire
A staircase entry onto a reef that tips over at 9 metres
A shore dive across Bonaire's double reef system
Reef
Plate coral on a shallow slope you can walk into
Reef
A big, quiet shore reef with parking right by the entry
Reef
Two parallel reefs reached from one beach entry
Easy shore entry onto a sloping reef often dived at night
Reef
Over 300 fish species recorded, the most in the Caribbean
Wall
Elkhorn and pillar coral on a bank above a deep reef drop
Similar dives elsewhere
A small coral island with a vertical wall, to 19 m
Reef
Drake Island
Portobelo · Panama
Sponge-covered reef where legend puts Francis Drake's lost ship
A large pillar coral standing over a 15 m reef floor
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Caribbean reef sharks along a steep west-facing cliff