Australia Liveaboard Diving

Dive Australia's Great Barrier Reef

The Land Down Under can, perhaps, refer to more than just the continent of Australia, with its weird and wonderful animal and floral kingdoms.

Under the surface of the sea off Australia's north Queensland coast, a region awaits the diver that is remarkable, alluring and astounding. It is the largest living organism on earth and the only one that is visible from outer space. It is one of the world's great dive destinations, the Great Barrier Reef.

Vibrant corals harbour fantastic reef life running the gamut from minute macro critters a plenty, to the giants of the ocean, both gentle and and fierce, and everything great and small in between.

Diving the Great Barrier Reef means year round diving in tropical waters that are almost perpetually calm. A plethora of marine life and a multitude of activities, on and off the reef from the nearby city of Cairns, means that a Great Barrier Reef holiday is always a memorable one.

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Great Barrier Reef

The biggest highlight of diving in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef. Located off the coast of north Queensland and stretching for over 2,000km, the Great Barrier Reef consists of distinctive sections that include the high quality diving of the the Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef, as well as the most accessible sites of the Cairns Barrier Reef.

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• Great Barrier Reef

Ribbon Reefs

Running along the northern edge of the Great Barrier Reef in north Queensland and holding such famous dives as the Cod Hole and Steve's Bommie, the Ribbon Reefs consist of long, thin reefs ranging in depth from 5-20 metres and usually no wider than 450 metres.

Characteristically covered in colourful coral, the Ribbon Reefs teem with marine critters, large and small. The further north one travels in Queensland the better visibility one encounters due to changes in the land and decreasing agricultural run off. This means the Ribbon Reefs often enjoy excellent visibility.

The Ribbon Reefs are serviced by liveaboards only. These are the same liveaboards as visit Osprey Reef and combination trips are strongly recommended. Visit our liveaboard section here to explore your options for the Ribbon Reefs. For more detailed information, visit our Ribbon Reefs diving website section.

Osprey Reef

The Australian North Coral Sea contains an isolated reef system located off the coast of Cairns to the very far north.

The distance at once spells one thing: an abundance of unspoilt marine life. As a remote oceanic reef, not part of the continent of Australasia, there are deep water upwellings here meaning plenty of nutrients that support an abundance of life. Visibility here ranges from the impressive to the incredible. Osprey Reef and its lesser known neighbour to the south, Bougainville, represent world class diving and some of the best that Australia has to offer.

Home to large schools of pelagic fish, bigeye trevally, bronze whaler sharks and barracuda, it also features plenty of moray eels, exotic cuttlefish and sea hares. Gorgonian fans, sea whips and beautiful, bright yellow soft corals flourish in the crystal clear waters and on the mountain pinnacles and sheer walls that disappear in the depths far beneath the Coral Sea.

Visit our liveaboard section here to explore your options for the Osprey Reef. For more detailed information, visit our Osprey Reef website section.

Cairns Barrier Reef

Covering the further reaches of the Great Barrier Reef, the Cairns Barrier Reef is located at 80 km and beyond from shore. Sometimes referred to as the Outer Barrier Reef, this area feature plenty of wall dives, swim throughs and clear blue water with endless fields of coral.

Coral is healthy here and the coverage is impressive although table coral and staghorn do not tend to grow to impressive sizes. Fish life is reasonably varied and plentiful. You may encounter turtles, white tip reef sharks and even dolphins. Bommies rise up from gullies and a landscape of staghorn-covered peaks and sandy valleys.

The diving is normally of a pleasant and relaxed nature. The Cairns Barrier Reef is great for beginners and for those with limited experience or time. Experienced divers wanting to see the best that the Great Barrier Reef may find Cairns Barrier Reef a little quiet and underwhelming, and would be more suited to the Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef. For those without a great deal of experience, the Cairns Barrier Reef offers fun, easy diving on healthy reefs with good visibility and plenty to see.

The Cairns Barrier Reef is best served by liveaboards. Visit our liveaboard section here to explore your options for the Cairns Barrier Reef. For more detailed information, visit our Cairns diving website section.

Diving Season

Australia, the coast of North Queensland in particular, is a year round diving destination, blessed with a tropical climate that ensures an idyllic water temperature in winter and summer.

Although water temperatures can very dramatically depending on where along Australia's vast coastline you are diving, the Great Barrier Reef, which is the main diving destination in Australia, has a water temperature of between 24 and 29 degrees. The absolute best diving is around December and May. Monsoon season, especially January and February may see changes in wind patterns that affect itineraries.

Reef Summary

Great for: Large animals, underwater photography, reef life and health, beginner divers and snorkelling
Not so great for: wreck dives
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 15 - 40m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Usually calm but can be choppy
Water temperature: 24 - 29°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: >200
Recommended length of stay: 1 - 2 weeks

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