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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Bonaire National Marine Park location page.
Overview
72 m cargo freighter scuttled in 1984 after a drug-smuggling bust, lying on its starboard side between two reefs at 30 m. The mast reaches up to 18 m and the wheelhouse offers safe penetration for trained divers. Shore-accessible from the salt flats road.
What you'll see
3 species curated- year-roundTarpon
- year-roundSchooling horse-eye jack
- year-roundGreen moray eel
Sightings evidence
1 record on file- high confidenceTarpon
- Last confirmed
- May 2026
- Recent records
- 130 within 10 km
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
The wreck
Ship history- National marine sanctuary
Freighter · Netherlands
MS Hilma Hooker
- Built
- 1951
- Sunk
- Sep 12, 1984
- Length
- 72 m
- Tonnage
- 1,027
- Diveable depth
- 18–30 m
- How she sank
- Accident
Dutch cargo ship abandoned in Bonaire after marijuana was found hidden in the bulkheads. Sank under tow to a confiscation berth — making her one of the world's accidentally-scuttled wrecks. Sits on her starboard side between two reefs.
Notable features
- intact hull
- bridge
- swim-through propellers
- schools of jacks
Vessel histories sourced from the Naval History and Heritage Command (DANFS), NOAA ENC Direct, and editorial research. Bathymetry per GEBCO. See the methodology for limits.
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25–26 °C | 20–35 m | none |
| Feb | 25–26 °C | 20–35 m | none |
| Mar | 26–27 °C | 25–40 m | none |
| Apr | 26–27 °C | 25–40 m | none |
| May | 27–28 °C | 25–40 m | none |
| Jun | 28–29 °C | 20–35 m | none |
| Jul | 28–29 °C | 20–35 m | none |
| Aug | 28–29 °C | 20–35 m | none |
| Sep | 28–29 °C | 15–30 m | none |
| Oct | 27–28 °C | 15–30 m | none |
| Nov | 26–27 °C | 20–35 m | none |
| Dec | 25–26 °C | 20–35 m | none |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- Dive light — Wreck interior is dark.
- Wreck-trained guide — Penetration past the daylight zone needs training.
Next step
Book your trip to Bonaire National Marine Park
Hotels, liveaboards, dive operators, gear recommendations, and travel logistics for the whole region.
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