Meet the site
Peel Island (Teerk Roo Ra) lies in southern Moreton Bay between Cleveland and North Stradbroke Island, and its history is as much a draw as its reefs: it served as a quarantine station, an inebriates' asylum and, until 1959, a leper colony, and heritage buildings survive ashore. Horseshoe Bay, on its sandy southern side, is one of the bay's favourite weekend anchorages. marinelife.org.au lists it as a 2 m snorkel site with fringing reefs, fish and small critters, and the beached remains of the 189 ft bucket dredge Platypus, built in 1883 and beached at the island in 1930. Peel's fringing reefs are among the coral communities that survive inside Moreton Bay, with hard corals, soft corals and algae growing on rock in very shallow water. They support small reef fish, damsels, wrasse and juveniles, with rays, turtles and the occasional dugong in the surrounding seagrass. The Platypus gives snorkellers an easy historical feature to explore close to shore. Visibility of 3-5 m is normal for the inner bay and improves at high tide. The site suits families, snorkellers and newcomers on a boating day out rather than scuba divers – depths are too shallow for scuba to add much. It is a good introduction to Moreton Bay's marine life and history for those with access to a boat. Take care anchoring to avoid damaging coral and seagrass, and respect marine park zoning around the island. Water temperatures range from about 18-20°C in winter to 26-28°C in summer in the shallow southern bay.
What you might see
Small reef fish, damsels, wrasse, juvenile fish, rays, turtles, dugongs (occasional), fringing hard and soft corals, seagrass
Location
Fringing reefs and the beached bucket dredge Platypus at Horseshoe Bay on Peel Island, between Cleveland and North Stradbroke Island in southern Moreton Bay.
Facilities nearby
No facilities for divers; QPWS camping and toilets on Peel Island; boat ramps at Cleveland, Victoria Point and Manly.
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.auen.wikipedia.orgRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.