Meet the site
Halfway Island is a small island lying between Great Keppel and Humpy Island, and its south-western side holds a fine staghorn coral garden at about 7 m. It is a gentle, shallow dive in a location sheltered by the surrounding islands, and it is often chosen when the wind rules out more exposed sites. The staghorn thickets form a dense field of branching coral that shelters clouds of small fish, including damsels and chromis, while parrotfish and angelfish graze and patrol around the edges. Feather stars cling to the coral tips, tube worms and nudibranchs are scattered through the reef, and sea snakes and turtles are regular visitors. The dive is simple: descend to the garden and meander across it, keeping good buoyancy to avoid breaking the fragile branches. Depth rarely exceeds 10 m, so bottom times are long and there is plenty of light for photography. Halfway Island suits new divers, snorkellers in good visibility, and anyone who wants to see a healthy branching-coral community typical of the sheltered Keppel reefs. The nearby Half Tide Rock, off Great Keppel's northern coast, is often confused with it in older listings but is a separate site. Because inshore staghorn fields respond quickly to both damage and recovery, the condition of the garden can change from year to year after floods or bleaching; ask the operator about its current state. Halfway Island is often paired with Humpy Island, a few minutes away, whose southern side offers several additional sheltered sites for a second dive on the same trip.
What you might see
Staghorn coral thickets, sea snakes, turtles, parrotfish, angelfish, damselfish, chromis, feather stars, tube worms, nudibranchs
Location
A small island between Humpy Island and Great Keppel Island whose south-west side has a staghorn coral garden at about 7 m.
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.
Sources & further reading
marinelife.org.aumyfavouriteescapes.comRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.