The Southern Great Barrier Reef dive sites are amongst those places that will make you want to hover in complete stillness as you watch the underwater world drift on by. Of course you’ve got to be lucky, but if you want a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a pod of humpback whales, trains of mantas, schools of trevally and barracuda, even the odd hammerhead and great white shark, this is the place for your next adventure!

Explore the outer reefs

Untouched, remote and unique in the world, diving on the southern Great Barrier Reef is like watching a David Attenborough documentary as if you were a “fish on the (reef) wall”. As you drop below the surface, you’ll enter a world of clicks, crackles, bubbles and hums as your senses are engulfed by the array of life surrounding you. Any one of your dive sites could welcome you with schooling fish, a spectacular landscape of pristine coral and yes, if all aligns (season, tide, moon cycles and time of day) you may even get a visit from humpback whales, manta rays, dolphins, sharks, rays, groupers, nemo and maori wrasse, just to name a few.

Dive areas of close-to-100% coral cover, discover boulders of live ancient coral the size of small buses, and feel the shadows cast by manta rays gliding overhead. From the smallest nudibranch to the charismatic mega fauna, there’s something for every diver to enjoy.

Photobomb central

Looking to see some of the healthiest remaining reefs in the world? The high protection and effective management of the Southern Great Barrier Reef dive sites is evident in the quantity and diversity of marine life. It’s one of those places you’re likely to have your shark shots photobombed by turtles, or maybe you’ll miss a whale swimming by because you’re fixated on a colorful christmas tree worm burrowed into a perfect coral boulder.

Discover marine life, not tens or hundreds of other divers!

Drift past sloping walls of plate corals or drop down a wall to discover soft corals and gorgonian fans enjoying the delicious plankton a flowing current brings. The isolation and lack of human interaction around these islands means you can enjoy a unique dive experience with your buddy or group, and are sure to see way more marine life than other divers!

Introducing your bucket list dive, Ex-HMAS Tobruk

If you love a good wreck dive, you’ve got to check this incredible dive site out. You won’t be ticking it off your bucket list though, we promise you’ll cross it off and put it right back down again for your next visit to Bundaberg!

Your eyes will widen as you head down to be immersed in an underwater world of life that has come to call the shelter of the wreck their home since it was sunk in 2018. Descend into the blue as the indistinct outline of the structure comes into view. Explore around the outside, surrounded by massive schools of fusiliers, batfish and trevally. If you brave the penetration, you’ll enter into the shadows cast by the structure of the vessel, imagining what life was like aboard for the seamen who walked the decks decades before. Explore and discover the wheelhouse, saloon, and even the loos!

Top Tip: Keep an eye out for our dear resident turtle who loves the shelter the Tobruk provides. She is a very curious and friendly juvenile green turtle, her shell dotted with barnacles. Not afraid to come in for a cuddle, it is just the most incredible experience for this little creature to come directly up to you, and nuzzle beneath your belly for a cuddle or scratch! (Please respect the marine like and note that all marine turtles are protected and it is illegal to touch them!)

Your Master Reef Guide Top Tip:

If you want to increase your chances of seeing mega-fauna like whales and manta rays, topped off by glass-out conditions, dive the Southern Great Barrier Reef from July to September!