Queensland · Wall

Clipper & Super Cat (Saxon Reef)

A reliable sweetlips school, a friendly resident turtle and occasional winter dolphins on Saxon's wall and bommies.

CairnsBoat (day trip)
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Depth
3–20 m
Certification
Advanced Open Water
Access
Boat (day trip)
Dive type
Wall
Region
Cairns

Depth describes the recorded site range, not a recommended dive depth. Certification is a recorded recommendation; suitability depends on your planned route, training, experience and current conditions.

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Location & map

Approximate area

Interactive map provided by Google Maps. If the map does not load, use the larger-map link.

Meet the site

Clipper and Super Cat are two adjoining moorings on Saxon Reef, and Divers Den notes that its divers navigate the reef wall and offshore bommies here. The name is shared with a pair of moorings on Norman Reef, which confuses some visitors; the two are separate sites on different reefs, and the names presumably date from boats that once used them. At Saxon the site is known for its fish: Divers Den describes different types of anemonefish and a large school of diagonal-banded sweetlips, a friendly green sea turtle that lives on the reef, and the notorious titan triggerfish. Titans are large, territorial triggerfish that defend their nests aggressively during the breeding season, charging and occasionally biting divers who swim over the nest, so the guide will point out where it lives and divers should swim away horizontally rather than up if challenged. Bottlenose dolphins occasionally appear in the colder months. The wall is covered in hard and soft corals, and the offshore bommies provide shelter for the sweetlips school and for coral trout, cod and moray eels. Depths are moderate and the conditions usually calm, so it suits Open Water divers, and snorkellers can see the top of the wall and the turtle. The combination of a reliable sweetlips school, a resident turtle and the chance of dolphins makes it one of the more consistently rewarding Saxon moorings. It is often combined with Twin Peaks or Sandra's on the same day. Visibility is typically 12-20 m, and the sweetlips are usually easiest to find sheltering on the down-current side of the bommies.

What you might see

Diagonal-banded sweetlips (school), anemonefish (several species), resident green turtle, titan triggerfish, bottlenose dolphins (winter, occasional), coral trout, cod, moray eels

Location

Pair of neighbouring moorings on Saxon Reef, about 55 km north-east of Cairns, along the reef wall with offshore bommies.

Facilities nearby

Departs Reef Fleet Terminal / Marlin Marina, Cairns: toilets, cafes, paid parking; dive gear, tanks and lunch supplied on board

Before you make plans

Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.

Record updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.

Operators linked to this site

These links are recorded in the directory. Confirm current trips and site access directly.

Clipper & Super Cat (Saxon Reef), Cairns — Dive Site | YouDive Australia