Need to know the perfect spots to dive on the Nice Barrier Reef? Deborah Dickson-Smith requested Grasp Reef Guides to decide on their prime 12 dives on this iconic dive location.
Queensland’s tropical north is the place many people first found the Nice Barrier Reef. From Cairns or Port Douglas, that is the closest jump-off level to the outer reef for a day journey or liveaboard expedition. From Norman and Saxon Reefs out from Cairns, to Agincourt Reef out of Port Douglas, and additional north to the Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea. There are actually a whole lot of dive websites to select from, so how do you select?
We requested the specialists, Grasp Reef Guides working on this area, which reefs supply the perfect diving, to place collectively an inventory of the Prime 12 Dives on the Nice Barrier Reef.
The Level. Agincourt Reef No. 3
- Grasp Reef Information: Dr Glenn Burns (and Dive Teacher Haylie Bennett)
- Dive it with: Quicksilver and Silversonic
‘The Level’ is on the northern-most level of Agincourt 3, on a bit of the Reef that sits on the very fringe of the continental shelf round 21 miles offshore. It’s separated from Agincourt 4 by a slender channel. These two geographical options mix to create a spectacular web site for lovers of pelagic motion. Robust currents sweep plankton-rich waters from the surrounded deep sea into the channel attracting predators, with giant faculties of striped and yellow tail fusiliers patrolling the coral wall, and chasing them, bigger predators corresponding to big-eye trevally and barracuda.
Outdoors the lagoon, divers ceaselessly sight bigger pelagics, together with grey reef sharks and the occasional bull shark, whereas contained in the lagoon, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks.
One of the best ways to dive The Level is a drift dive, dropping in on the outer wall simply outdoors the channel, drifting swiftly across the Level itself into the channel, passing forests of huge gorgonian followers alongside the way in which earlier than being sucked into the lagoon, the place you’ll seemingly meet Donut, the world’s friendliest, large Maori wrasse.
When situations permit, it’s also possible to dive alongside the outer wall, the place you’ll be able to count on visibility between 100-150 toes because the reef wall drop down, in levels, 165ft, 330ft, 3,280ft.
Nursery Bommie. Agincourt Reef No. 3
- Grasp Reef Information: Dr Glenn Burns (and Dive Teacher Haylie Bennett)
- Dive it with: Quicksilver and Silversonic,
Nursery is a comparatively shallow dive, beginning at 82ft depth on the base of the bommie itself which sits on a sloping reef wall. Drop in on the deeper facet of the bommies and step by step circle your option to the shallows. The marine life modifications as you ascend, passing reef sharks, giant faculties of drummer, the occasional reef shark and different pelagics in deeper water, and within the shallows, clouds of purple anthias. Divers typically see pods of dolphins and in winter, minke whales are sometimes sighted.
As you observe the reef wall into shallower water, you’ll cross an enormous backyard of staghorn coral in shades of brown, purple, blue and inexperienced earlier than ending your dive in ‘Fishbowl’, a bowl with a white sandy backside, surrounded by staghorns, and brimming with fairly reef fish of all colours, together with neon blue chromis, orange and purple anthias and damsels.
Dr Glenn Byrne explains: “One of many causes I like this dive is that it’s so versatile, it has one thing for divers of all ranges, from newbie to hardcore.”
Helm Deep Drift. Agincourt No. 2
- Grasp Reef Information: Dr Glenn Burns (and Dive Teacher Haylie Bennett)
- Dive it with: Quicksilver and Silversonic
Helms Drift is channel between two Agincourt reefs, specifically 2A and 2B, the place sturdy currents carry you alongside the outer wall and suck you into the channel the place you drift and an unimaginable tempo till the present peters out contained in the lagoon.
“On this drift dive, you fly,” in line with Haylie.
And whilst you’re ‘flying’ you’ll cross turtles, grey reef sharks and barramundi cod, earlier than you attain the gentler tempo of the reef surrounding the mooring and the macro options to be discovered there, corresponding to tiny pipe fish and nudibranchs. Close to the mooring you might also come throughout a few cheeky residents, Agro, a camouflage cod and Colin, a Malabar cod.
Three Sisters, Milln Reef
- Grasp Reef Guides: Russell Hosp and Kirsty Whitman
- Dive it with: Passions of Paradise, Professional Dive Cairns
The Three Sisters are three huge bommies that sit on the very fringe of Milln Reef, the place the present brings in giant quantities of plankton, a meals wealthy surroundings for education pelagics corresponding to fusiliers, pink bass, drummer, and bigger marine life together with turtles, reef sharks, a number of species of rays together with giant clean rays and cowtail rays.
The Sisters’ place on the fringe of the reef assures glorious visibility, upwards of 65 toes, good for shark and ray recognizing!
Begin on the third sister and swim a determine eight sample across the second and third sister earlier than heading to Sister No. 1. Reef fish you’re more likely to see alongside the way in which embody fusiliers, damsels, purple and orange anthias, shiny blue chromis, yellow noticed and diagonal banded sweetlips and parrotfish.
Membership 10, Milln Reef
- Grasp Reef Guides: Russell Hosp and Kirsty Whitman
- Dive it with: Passions of Paradise, Professional Dive Cairns
Good for snorkelers and divers, this shallow dive (so named for its deepest level: 10m, or 32ft), has vibrant coral cowl and a number of other species of anemones in one of many largest fields of anemones you’ll ever see. Simply beneath the mooring there are giant clusters of blue and brown staghorn corals, enormous boulder corals, and on the sandy seafloor, backyard eels sway within the gentle present.
Within the surrounding shallow coral gardens you’ll discover all kinds of reef life: damselfish, blue tangs (Dory), cuttlefish, butterflyfish, turtles and a number of other species of sharks, together with epaulette sharks, tawny nurse sharks and reef sharks.
Cairns: Twin Peaks, Saxon Reef
- Grasp Reef Information: Michelle Barry
- Dive it with: Divers Den
Saxon Reef is among the finest Nice Barrier Reef dive and snorkel websites. Set between Norman and Hastings Reefs, there are calm lagoons superb for snorkeling – in addition to the well-known Twin Peaks coral ‘mountains’ the place a deeper scuba dive gives the prospect to identify species like reef sharks, trevally, giant cod, and moray eels.
Metropolis Corridor, Moore Reef
- Grasp Reef Information: Pablo Cogollos
- Dive it with: Sunlover Reef Cruises
Positioned about 650 toes from the Sunlover Pontoon, Metropolis Corridor is a big pinnacle, festooned at depth with large gorgonian followers and wholesome, vibrant and numerous coral cowl within the shallows. It’s surrounded by at the very least ten swim-throughs the place you may discover wide-eyed pink cardinal fish, right here and there clouds of glassfish and the odd coral trout darting out and in.
Turtles are nearly assured at this web site, with 18 particular person resident turtles recognized: two hawksbill and 16 inexperienced sea turtles. As you circle and ascend the pinnacle, you’ll see a lot of damsels fluttering concerning the thick outcrops of branching coral and big faculties of yellowtail fusiliers darting scaling the coral wall at excessive velocity.
Marine World Wall, Moore Reef
- Grasp Reef Information: Sam Grey
- Dive it with: Reef Magic
This part of Moore Reef is heart-warming comeback story, one which graced the duvet of the Weekend Australian Journal some 12 months in the past. The ‘Wall’ is positioned on the far facet of the reef the place the ‘Marine World’ pontoon is moored. In 2011, this a part of Moore Reef was hammered by Cyclone Yasi, a lot in order that in elements, it was nearly stripped naked of coral cowl.
In late-2020, Reef Magic’s GBR Biology workforce performed Eye on the Reef Speedy Well being Indicator Surveys, and had been delighted to find that coral cowl was again to pre-Yasi ranges. The reef now boasts 80 p.c coral cowl, with layers and layers of plating coral competing for house with branching corals and offering shelter for an rising inhabitants of reef fish corresponding to coral trout and lizard fish.
The Wall is horseshoe-shaped, which (below regular climate patterns) protects the coral cowl from the weather, although it faces open ocean. It’s best dived as a drift dive, leaping in at ‘Strain Level’ the place you’ll seemingly see giant faculties of pelagic fish together with drummer, rainbow runners, snub-nose dart fish and fusiliers. As you drift alongside, the coral cowl modifications from candy-colored tender corals to exhausting branching and bushy corals within the extra protected areas.
Look out into the blue for the bigger pelagics corresponding to whitetip reef sharks, tawny nurse sharks, the occasional manta, and up shut on the coral for nudibranchs, Ascidians and feather stars.
Prime Tip: whereas Sunlover Reef Cruises and Reef Magic are identified extra as a specialist for non-divers with guided snorkel excursions and glass backside boats, they’re additionally an incredible selection for licensed divers as you’ll normally end up in a really small group.
Coral Gardens, Flynn Reef
- Grasp Reef Information: Pablo Cogollos
- Dive it with: Passions of Paradise, Silverswift, Professional Dive Cairns
Flynn Reef has a number of the finest coral cowl on the Nice Barrier Reef, in truth Grasp Reef Information Pablo Cogollos compares it to Girl Elliot Island for its coral density and variety. Big boulder corals battle for house with plate corals, branching and bushy corals, and this variety attracts a variety of fish life.
Exploring the gardens, you’ll come throughout coral trout, sweetlips, trumpetfish, a number of totally different angel fish, damsels, chromis and anemonefish.
North Horn, Osprey Reef
- Grasp Reef Information: Pablo Cogollos and Michelle Barry
- Dive it with: Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Spirit of Freedom
Identified primarily as a shark feeding dive, the placement of this web site means you can count on loads of pelagic (and shark) motion no matter whether or not they’re fed. Positioned on the northern-most tip of Osprey Reef, food-rich currents from the encompassing deep water entice giant pelagics corresponding to grey reef sharks, whitetip and silvertip sharks, hammerheads and the occasional thresher shark. You’ll typically see giant clean rays dosing on the sandy sea flooring and manta rays gliding previous within the blue – even whalesharks have been sighted right here.
The shark spectacular itself occurs on the tip of the reef, with divers seated round pure coral amphitheatre whereas the sharks are lured in for a thrill (and a photograph alternative) with a bucket of chum. And it’s not simply sharks which are attracted, with giant numbers of trevally, cod and different smaller fish circling the sharks like a twister, eager to brush up the scraps.
As soon as the sharks have had their feed, drift alongside the Western Wall, which is festooned with vibrant tender corals and forests of gorgonian followers whereas clouds of purple anthias add to the entire rainbow of colours.
Gentle Coral Wall, Osprey Reef
- Grasp Reef Information: Michelle Barry
- Dive it with: Spirit of Freedom, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
This drift dive runs alongside the outer fringe of Osprey Reef, dropping all the way down to unimaginable depths. Usually a young will drop you initially of the drift the place you descend to about 100-130ft. Drift alongside previous enormous gorgonian followers and tender corals of all types, and in all types of sweet colours – yellow, pink, orange, blue, pink… populated by clouds of reef fish.
About midway alongside the drift, wall turns into inverted, reworking into an overhang, whereas every thing under you falls away and you end up in a candy-colored hanging backyard. The inversion provides drama to this lovely underwater panorama, the kaleidoscope of colours additional enhanced by all colourful reef fish together with fusiliers, chromis and damsels.
Be sure you look out into the blue for sailfish, hammerheads, dogtooth tuna, eagle rays and large faculties of big-eye jacks, barracuda and herds of bumphead parrotfish. The drift ends with a finale of sharks at North Horn, the place even the odd whaleshark has been sighted.
Crystal Plateau, Bougainville Reef
- Grasp Reef Information: Pablo Cogollos
- Dive it with: Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
Bougainville Reef is on the ‘Honest Climate’ Coral Sea itinerary for Cairns’ primarily based liveaboards, being one of many more-remote reef programs within the Coral Sea. The reef right here is among the healthiest within the Coral Sea, and even within the shallows you’ll be able to count on to see giant faculties of drummer, trevally, barracuda and bumphead parrotfish.
There’s a incredible drift dive right here between the western reef wall and a row of 5 or 6 pinnacles the place you’ll drift by giant faculties of fish earlier than reaching the tip of the slipstream to be greeted by the friendliest (but to be named) potato cod.
Two Towers, Ribbon Reef 10
- Grasp Reef Information: Michelle Barry, Pablo Cogollos
- Dive it with: Spirit of Freedom, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
Two Towers is positioned on the northern tip of the Ribbon Reefs, and there are a number of causes it’s considered one of Michelle Barry’s favourites.
She stated: “The coral cowl at Two Towers is gorgeous and it’s also a minke whale hotspot, however the primary cause I like this reef is as a result of it’s a comeback story that provides us hope for the Reef.”
In 2013 and 2014, this reef was hammered by two cyclones and a devastating crown of thorns seastar outbreak. The reef was so badly broken there was hardly any coral cowl left in any respect. When Two Towers was surveyed within the 2020 Nice Reef Census, Michelle and a workforce of marine scientists which included Dr David Wachenfeldt, head of analysis on the Nice Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GRBMPA), the place overjoyed to discover a reef in appreciable restoration.
In simply six years, the coral cowl on the shallower elements of this as soon as lifeless reef is dense and numerous. There’s a larger density of fast-growing branching and plating corals, bringing with all of them the fish species that love the quick growers, such fusiliers, chromis, damsels, blue line snapper, turtles and black anemonefish. These corals on the highest ranges of the reef at the moment are starting to spill over into deeper water, replenishing coral density at depth.
Another excuse to like Twin Towers is that its distinctive topography types an ideal nursery for brooding dwarf minke whales. Between this lengthy part of reef and the mainland, there aren’t any giant reefs or bommies, only a large open paddock with a sandy sea flooring, protected against the open ocean by Ribbon Reef 10 – the proper nursery for dwarf minke mums to relaxation with their calves earlier than the lengthy journey south.
The reef right here is among the healthiest within the Coral Sea, and even within the shallows you’ll be able to count on to see giant faculties of drummer, trevally, barracuda and bumphead parrotfish
Another excuse to like Twin Towers is that its distinctive topography types an ideal nursery for brooding dwarf minke whales
These corals on the highest ranges of the reef at the moment are starting to spill over into deeper water, replenishing coral density at depth
Pictures by Michelle Barry, Lily Buchanan, Andrew Watson and Deborah Dickson-Smith
