AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS
Diving in Queensland
Explore 594 listed dive sites and find the local knowledge to help plan your visit.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Choose your reef gateway before your accommodation
Queensland research starts with the departure region. Cairns and Port Douglas, the southern reef islands, Townsville and the south-east coast appear in different parts of this directory. Treat them as separate trip choices: being in Queensland does not put every reef or wreck within reach of the same boat. Work from a proposed operator itinerary back to your accommodation and transfers.
Choose the setting, then the trip Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
There are 594 published site records across Queensland. The recorded categories include reef (290), pinnacle/bommie (73), wall (70), wreck (52). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Start with one of the regional pages below. State-wide totals are useful for browsing, but the actual choice should be made at the level of an operator, a site and a proposed itinerary.
Research operators in Queensland →Ask before booking
- Which port and vessel will run our trip?
- Is the named reef a likely itinerary or a confirmed destination?
- What changes if our island transfer or boat departure moves?
Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Northern reef gateways
Compare Cairns and Port Douglas by the actual departure, return time and proposed trip. Ask which sites are possibilities rather than fixed promises.
Islands and southern reef
For island-based trips, confirm how arrival transfers connect with the diving schedule and what equipment must be reserved.
South-east Queensland
Use the Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and island region pages to distinguish boat departures, shore access and wreck-related records.
Questions, answered
How do I choose a dive in Queensland?
Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 594 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.
When should I visit Queensland for diving?
Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.
Can I use these maps to enter or navigate a dive site?
No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.
Regional planning context: Tourism and Events Queensland — accessing the Great Barrier Reef ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Find your region
Dive sites to explore
Muck/SandLady Elliot Island
Mooring One (Lady Elliot Island)
A shallow mooring where squid shelter under the boat.
Details need confirmationReefGold Coast
Moray Reef
The deepest of the listed Palm Beach Reef sections, in 16-19 m, named for its moray eels.
Details need confirmationReefSunshine Coast
Murphys Reef
The quieter third reef system off Mooloolaba – ledges and bommies in 12-33 m with fewer divers than the Gneerings.
Details need confirmationReefNorth Stradbroke Island
Myora Reef
A tiny bay reef with around 46% hard coral cover in a no-fishing zone, surrounded by seagrass grazed by turtles and dugongs.
Details need confirmationReefSwain Reefs
Mystery Cay (Swain Reefs)
Coral pinnacles where mantas come to cleaning stations in winter.
Details need confirmationArtificial ReefGold Coast
Narrowneck Artificial Reef
A giant sand-bag surf reef in the middle of the Gold Coast, colonised by soft corals, rays and wobbegongs – diveable on flat days…
Details need confirmationReefMission Beach & Cassowary Coast
Nathan Reef (Innisfail)
Rarely visited outer reefs off Innisfail for self-sufficient boat divers.
Details need confirmationWallLady Elliot Island
Nemo Wall (Lady Elliot Island)
A short drop-off covered in anemones and their clownfish.
Details need confirmationReefPort Douglas
New Seagull (Opal Reef)
Spur-and-groove buttress reef on Opal's ocean face, accessible only on calm wet-season days.
Details need confirmationReefPort Douglas
Nobody's (Agincourt Reef)
Wall, fish-covered bommies and a sandpit in one quiet dive.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformSunshine Coast
Noosa National Park Headland (Tea Tree Bay – Granite Bay)
Snorkel the rocky bays of Noosa National Park on a calm day after a walk along the Coastal Track.
Details need confirmationReefPort Douglas
North Bay (Agincourt Reef)
Shallow coral garden for beginners plus an easy drift along the outer wall for certified divers.
Details need confirmationReefPort Douglas
North Sno (Opal Reef)
Open 'moonscape' terrain on North Opal with visibility often exceeding 30 m.
Details need confirmationArtificial ReefNorth Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island Artificial Reef
A young, diver-permitted concrete module reef in 10-12 m just north of Point Lookout.
Details need confirmationReefSunshine Coast
Nudi Junction
One of the lesser-documented named reef sites in the Mooloolaba operators' rotation – a chance to dive typical Gneering Shoals…
Details need confirmationReefMission Beach & Cassowary Coast
Otter Reef
Rarely dived outer reefs off Hinchinbrook for self-sufficient boat divers.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieBundaberg & Agnes Water
Outer Rock (Bustard Head)
A tide-swept offshore rock off Bustard Head in 20-30 m where bronze whalers and tiger sharks hunt – usually paired with the…
Details need confirmationReefCapricorn Coast & Keppel Islands
Passage Rocks (Great Keppel Island)
A tidal channel site with the Keppels' greatest hard coral diversity.
Details need confirmationReefPort Douglas
Phil's Lagoon (Tongue Reef Sister reefs)
Near-enclosed coral lagoon with enormous giant clams, plus a drop-off outside patrolled by grey reef sharks.
Details need confirmationReefCairns
Pinnacle Reef (Green Island)
An exclusive small-boat mooring near Green Island with a quiet coral garden and frequent turtles.
Details need confirmationReefFar Northern Reef & Torres Strait
Pirate's Cove (Far Northern GBR)
Soft-coral walls on a rarely visited far-northern reef.
Details need confirmationReefPort Douglas
Plato (Opal Reef)
Large coral outcrops in very clear, current-swept water.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformSunshine Coast
Point Arkwright
A northern Sunshine Coast headland snorkel for flat days, listed by Scuba World.
Details need confirmationWallFar Northern Reef & Torres Strait
Pussy Galore (Tijou Reef)
A particularly beautiful fan- and whip-covered wall on the remote Tijou/Cat reefs.
Details need confirmation