Meet the site
Ray Alley is a shallow, gentle North Head site defined by its residents rather than its topography: a sandy alley running between the boulder reef and the deeper sand where, as Sydney Dive Charters puts it, 'resident large black bull rays' are found on most dives. Southern eagle rays and smooth stingrays also use the gutter, and the sand between the rocks is where weedy sea dragons, stingarees, flathead and the occasional numb ray are found. The reef edge that borders it is standard inner-North Head boulder slope with kelp on top, sponges and soft corals underneath, wobbegongs and Port Jackson sharks under the ledges and blue groper in attendance. At 10–20 m it is the shallowest of the North Head anchorages and one of the best for newly certified divers, photographers who want long bottom times with large animals, and night dives, when the rays are active and the boulder faces come alive with basket stars, decorator crabs and hunting octopus. Giant cuttlefish are common in winter and spring. Because the rays are habituated they tolerate careful approach, but they are large wild animals with a venomous spine; the operators brief divers to stay off the bottom and never to corner one against the reef. The site is on the sheltered harbour face inside the North Harbour Aquatic Reserve and is diveable in almost all weather short of a large southerly swell; tidal current is light. Visibility is 8–15 m, sometimes better in winter. Ray Alley suits Open Water divers, families with a mix of certification levels, and anyone who has done the deeper sites and wants a slow dive with big rays; it is usually paired with Bluefish Point or Old Man's Shoulder as the second, shallower dive of a Manly double.
What you might see
Black (bull) rays, southern eagle rays, smooth stingrays, stingarees, numb rays, weedy sea dragons, giant cuttlefish, octopus, wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, blue groper, flathead, sponges, soft corals
Location
Sand gutter and boulder edge on the inner face of North Head at 10–20 m where large black bull rays are resident; listed by Sydney Dive Charters.
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
sydneydivecharters.com.ausydneydivecharters.com.auRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.