Brisbane, which is positioned in the South Pacific where temperate and tropical sea waters mix, is renowned for its diversity of life and for its clean, clear water with visibility that often reaches forty meters at offshore sites. The area is a haven for migrating turtles and humpback whales, leopard and nurse sharks, and Manta Rays. While there are many wonderful dive sites to explore, some stand out from the rest. Let’s jump into a few of Brisbane’s best dives!
China Wall
With visibility that sometimes reaches fifty meters, China Wall is not only spectacular; it is an excellent area for underwater photography. The reef wall descends all the way to 100 meters below the surface, and is simply beautiful in its own right. Beautiful gorgonians and sea fans, brilliant soft coral and elegant black coral, interspersed with sea whips and lovely sponges cover the ledges and spill out from every crack. Small reef fish nibble along the top of the wall, while parrotfish and puffers, coral trout and wrasse keep a sharp eye out for reef sharks.
This is an excellent vantage point for viewing migrating humpback whales, or even for hearing their plaintive songs as they pass, and gangs of cheerful dolphins often join divers as they drift along, enjoying the magnificent life that covers every inch of China Wall.
Spot X
Sheer walls and rocky pinnacles soar up from the seabed at Spot X, which has a maximum depth of just twenty-four meters. Although this is a less-visited site, it is absolutely beautiful, and well worth the boat ride out. Here, you will find massive schools of fish that congregate into a tightly packed wall, which attracts larger predators. Massive yellowtail king fish, Queensland groupers the size of economy cars, and the occasional grey nurse shark plunge into the shoal, putting on an amazing show as they feed.
Beautiful swatches of black coral decorate the walls and pinnacles near the bottom, but there is very little in the way of other cover. The fish are the main attraction here!
Henderson’s Rock
Henderson Rock is situated next to Moreton Island, and is best dived during the winter months. Deep ledges and overhangs pockmarked with small caves provide shelter to grey nurse sharks and wobbegong sharks, giant groupers and gummy sharks, batfish, seahorses, pipe fish, nudibranchs, and more. Shoals of large pelagic fish are joined by reef sharks. Henderson’s Rock, which has a maximum depth of thirty meters, and Cherubs Cave are often dived during the same trip.
Cherub’s Cave
Cherub's Cave is a large, circular cave that has more than five exits. A statue of a cherub marks the entryway, which is in an area surrounded by rocky gullies and smaller caves and overhangs. Besides the massive resident Queensland grouper that occupies the cave, which is at thirty meters, you will find kingfish and other pelagics here, including the occasional shark, plus lots of invertebrates and nudibranchs. This is a spectacular cave with astonishing light effects!
Manta Ray Bommie
Located on the west side of Lady Musgrave Island, Manta Ray Bommie is a pinnacle that descends from just six meters below the surface to twelve meters, and which is teeming with all kinds of life. The main attraction, however, are the Manta Rays, which visit the bommie in small groups of three or four. Visibility here is often excellent, sometimes reaching fifty meters, and affording a wonderful view of all the other fish and sharks, turtles, and spotted eagle rays that are commonly seen here.
As Brisbane is such an excellent place to dive, with so much to offer, dive operators conduct a booming business. You can dive year round, so scheduling a visit to Brisbane’s best dive sites is absolutely worry free. Whether you want to experience a fantastic stay on a liveaboard, or if you would rather take shorter trips to individual dive sites, you’re sure to have a wonderful time!