Anchorage at night is usually in calm and protected lagoons and sometimes you can experience strong currents here. The experienced diver will get excellent "value for money" diving in the Coral Sea, but it is also possible for not so experienced divers to dive safely here.

We love and recommend the Coral Sea, but please be aware that due to the open ocean crossing, it can be quite rough to get there, especially on smaller vessels. Consequently, most vessels that visit the Coral Sea are very stable and built for that purpose. Still, if someone is seriously prone to seasickness this might be challenging.

Should the weather conditions be too rough to make a safe crossing over to the Coral Sea, most boats will change their itinerary as safety and comfort is the main priority. In such cases, diving will take place along the more protected Ribbon Reefs instead. Best time of the year for Coral Sea trips is September to January. Rougher sea conditions can usually be expected during the April to August period.

Location

The Coral Sea reefs are located 12 to 18 hours East from the coast of mainland Australia - beyond the reach of any day boats. We have divided the Coral Sea into the southern and the northern sectors. The Northern Coral Sea is accessed from Cairns and Port Douglas. Reefs: Osprey Reef, Holmes Reef and Bougainville Reef.

Logistics For Northern Coral Sea Dive Excursions

The only way to dive here is with one of the liveaboard dive vessels. Some vessels combine a visit to the Ribbon Reefs with a steam out into the Coral Sea which makes for a perfect combination! You should plan 4 to 7 days for your Coral Sea trips.

Best time of the year for diving: In principle all year round, however February to August the crossing can get quite rough. The best time is usually September to January.

What To See

The reefs of the northern (and southern) Coral Sea are different from the ones on the Barrier Reef. They are like "waterholes" in the "desert" and wide expanses of the Pacific Ocean. Here the reefs are exposed to the never-ending energy of the open ocean and the clarity of water is awesome. Such exposed "service stations" in the middle of the Pacific attract all sorts and sizes of fish in gigantic schools or as single hunters. The reefs of the Coral Sea are famous for their incredibly huge giant gorgonians and pelagic action. A huge variety of reef sharks can be seen here such as silvertips, hammerheads and grey reef sharks. Also the chances to see Manta Rays and Eagle Rays are pretty good.

Coral Sea visibility is as good as it gets - average is 30-40 metres (100-130 ft) and more. The reefs climb to the surface from surrounding depths exceeding 1000 metres (3300 ft). These reefs were originally ancient mountains which in the course of time have turned into reefs covered by the sea.

Types Of Diving

Drift dives along sheer walls are the most popular way of diving on many of the Coral Sea reefs, and of course wall dives too! There are many fantastic moorings where you can explore the reef right next to the boat. The area also has many caverns, little caves and swim-throughs, especially in the shallower parts of the reefs.

Dive Sites

Osprey, Holmes and Bougainville Reefs are parts of the Northern Coral Sea. Each of them has individual characteristics which we would like to explain:

Osprey Reef: This reef is certainly one of the best in the Coral Sea, it is our favourite reef in the area. Osprey is the most northerly Coral Sea reef, being 350 km away from Cairns. There is a deep-water lagoon in the middle of Osprey Reef, which is great for safe anchorage. There are vertical walls that rise up from more than 1000 metres (3300 feet) to just below the surface! The pelagic action at Osprey is mind blowing. It is a meeting point for the "big guys". The diving here is a real thrill !

North Horn: A dive site at the northern tip of Osprey where two ocean currents converge, this place is famous for its most amazing shark dives. You might see hammerheads, silvertips, grey reefs, grey whalers and white tips, sometimes even ocean going sharks like oceanic whitetip reef sharks, great hammerheads and tigersharks come in for a look! Sometimes operators run controlled shark feeds to counteract the natural reaction of sharks to avoid divers and the results are spectacular! Apart from sharks you also see barracuda, dog tooth tuna, mackerel, various cod species, rainbow runners and some of the most beautiful soft coral, sea whips and huge gorgonians around.

South Horn: Also at Osprey, it has its fair share of sharks as well! If you move along the wall slowly, you find a number of caverns and ledges, covered in pretty soft corals, to explore. Watch out for more reef fish, hiding crabs, colourful nudibranchs and more. During night dives you will see heaps of flashlight fish.

Holmes Reef: Holmes Reef is 240 km away from Cairns. The diving here is typical Coral Sea. Reef sharks and other big fish such as trevally and mackerel come in close to the sheer endless walls. The Abyss is one of the popular dive sites; it is a wall dropping over 1000 meters. The wall is decorated with beautiful soft coral. Another fantastic spot is called Amazing, here you find lots of caves with resident lobsters and other interesting marine life. Most of the caves and swim throughs are located at 10 to 20 meters. Holmes has a very large selection of possible dive sites. Well known for its shark action is a dive site called "predators playground", where sharks get fed regularly.

Bougainville Reef: Dive along beautiful walls rising up from the deep. Huge gorgonians and large soft coral species are to be seen here and, of course, lots of sharks too! Bougainville Reef is very different to Holmes. It evolved from a volcano that rises up from several thousand metres almost to the surface. It offers some fantastic labyrinths with caves, tunnels, canyons, overhangs and some spectacular drop offs. Bougainville Reef is much smaller, than Holmes reef. Trips to Bougainville Reef are very weather dependent. Most of the anchorage sites are not very well sheltered, so it is unprotected and it can be quite rough out here. For this reason, there are only a few trips during the year operating out to Bougainville Reef.

Seasonal Events

November - Coral Spawning: Coral Spawning is often called "Sex on the reef" - That's what it is! Every year it is happening again. All corals release their eggs and sperm at the same time. You can really see it! It usually happens 4 nights after the first full moon in November. It is an impressive event and night dives are spectacular. A lot of critters are active, as this is a feast! The Coral Spawning initiates a food chain, which brings about large amounts of zooplankton. When these little animals are in the water in big numbers, chances are very good that whale sharks, giant manta rays and Brydes whales will come close to the reefs to feed.

Accommodation And Tours

Accommodation and tour options, and general destination information, are also available for the adjacent Cairns-Port Douglas and Daintree-Cape York mainland regions.