With a reef spanning approximately 350,000km and containing over 1500 different species of fish, it’s not hard to see why the Great Barrier Reef is often found at the top of divers’ bucket lists. With a reef this size, there are plenty of dive sites to visit, but it can be difficult to know where to start. To help you plan your trip to the Great Barrier Reef trip, we share with you, five must-visit dive sites (in alphabetical order).
1. Cod Hole
As the name suggests, the highlight of this dive site are the cod that are located here. Now these aren’t just any cod, they are giant potato cod, which can grow up to 2m and weigh up to 100kgs. These guys love to hang around the mooring line, so don’t be surprised when you start or finish your dive, if you come face to face with one. They are not afraid of divers and they like to get up close and personal, which is great news for you, so you can capture those selfies.
Location: Ribbon Reef.
How to visit: Multi day live aboard from Cairns.
Depth: 10-30m, average dive depth is 15m.
Conditions: Calm, but can be choppy on the surface.
Best time of year to visit: Year round, but best visibility can often be between July to October.
Suitable for: Open Water divers and above. Some dive centres require a minimum number of dives.
2. Lighthouse Bommie
The Lighthouse Bommie dive centres around a 25m tall coral pinnacle. You start the dive off at the bottom of the pinnacle and spiral your way up to the top. You will not know where to look, as the site is literally littered with fish swimming in synchrony. And if you look out into the blue you may be lucky to see a reef shark or even a Dwarf Minke whale (only during winter months)! And when you reach the top of the bommie, keep your eyes peeled for the turtles that like to hang amongst the colourful coral in the shallows.
Location: Ribbon Reef.
How to visit: Multi day live aboard from Cairns.
Depth: 5 – 30m.
Conditions: Calm, but can be choppy on the surface.
Best time of year to visit: Year round, but best visibility can often be between July to October. In the winter months June-August there is the possibility you may see a Dwarf Minke Whale.
Suitable for: Snorkellers, Open Water divers and above. Some dive centres require a minimum number of dives.
3. North Horn
North Horn is a dive site located in Osprey Reef, which is known for its crystal clear water, fantastic visibility and is one of the best locations to see big fish; namely sharks! If you want an adrenaline pumping dive, then join a shark feeding dive here, where a big steel trash can is lowered into the water containing two tuna heads. Everything from grey shark, silver tip shark, and whitetip reef shark thrash around in the water hoping to get a taste of that tuna, right before your eyes. You may also find that trevally, potato cod and mackeral want to get in on the feeding frenzy. And if you are really lucky you may even see an eagle ray, manta ray, hammerhead shark and/or tiger shark.
Location: Osprey Reef.
How to visit: Multi day live aboard from Cairns.
Depth: 5-40m (dive is conducted usually around 15m).
Conditions: Can be some current.
Best time of year to visit: Year round, but best visibility can often be between September to November.
Suitable for: Recommended to be at least an Advanced Open Water diver with a minimum number of dives, but this can vary depending on the dive centre.
4. SS Yongala
The SS Yongala is not only one of the best dive sites in Australia, it is also known as one of the best wreck dives in the world. Unfortunately the dive site exists due to tragedy. The SS Yongala was a passenger ship that ran into a tropical cyclone in 1911, and there is no evidence that any of the 122 passengers on board survived. Surprisingly, the 110m wreck is fairly intact, and in the 100 years since the ship wreck, it has become a home to an abundance of marine life. There is so much sea life here, that you are spoilt for choice on where to look. From giant grouper (the size of small cars), to barracuda, sea snakes, trevally, eels, eagle ray, turtles and bull shark, you will find it very hard not to enjoy this dive.
Location: Central Great Barrier Reef near Alva Beach
How to visit: You can reach this site via a day trip or live aboard. Day trips leave from either Townsville which requires a 3 hour boat ride to reach the wreck, or from Ayr which is a 30 min boat ride. The boat rides can be very choppy, so this may be one to skip if you get bad sea sickness. Alternatively you can take a live aboard from Townsville.
Depth: 10-30m.
Conditions: Strong currents especially at the 10-15m mark.
Best time of year to visit: Any time of year, but best avoid wet/cyclone season between January and April, as trips can be cancelled. Regardless of the time of year, be sure to book a couple of extra days, as diving conditions here can be unpredictable. Also be sure to buy travel insurance to cover any trip cancellations. Visibility can be an issue at this site, so the best visibility is during Winter June to August.
Suitable for: It is most suitable for experienced Advanced Open Water divers. Some dive centers will allow you to dive with your Open Water certification providing you have done a minimum number of dives (usually 6-10) and that you do a deep dive adventure dive (at extra cost) to experience the effects of going down to 30m. This will then count as credit towards your Advanced Open Water certification. The minimum requirements vary from dive centre to dive centre, so it is best to check before you book. Also note this is a non-penetrative dive, which means you can only swim around the outside of the wreck and there are hefty fines if you break this rule.
5. Steve’s Bommie
Steve’s Bommie, is a 30m coral tower and you will be blown away by how many fish live here. Be mystified by the strange unicorn fish with their pointy noses and watch as cute faced puffer fish swim by. But beware of the trigger fish that live here, while they are pretty they are known to attack when it is nesting season. You may also see barracuda, snapper, trevally and if you are lucky, wobbegong shark.
Location: Ribbon Reef.
How to visit: Multi day liveaboard from Cairns.
Depth: 3-35m.
Conditions: Calm, but can be choppy at surface.
Best time of year to visit: Year round, but best visibility can often be between July to October.
Suitable for: Snorkellers, Open Water divers and above.
The Great Barrier Reef really does offer some of the best diving in the world, and it is my favourite place to dive. As with all places, some of the dive sites in the Great Barrier Reef are average, and some are spectacular. So to avoid disappointment make sure these 5 dive sites are on your must-see list. And if you are after more tips on planning your Great Barrier Reef trip, check out this article on Everything you need to know about Great Barrier Reef diving.
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About the Author
Amanda and her husband Dean have been certified divers since 2009. Amanda has her advanced open water and Dean is a dive master. They have travelled the world and dived many sites in Australia, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean.
Amanda and Dean have a travel blog called Scatabout which details the fun and unique experiences they have had on their world travels. You can find them doing something adventurous like scuba diving, hiking or something strange like running down the side of a building.
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