Meet the site
Runway 36 is the name Pro Dive Manly gives to one of its North Head Peninsula anchorages, and Vizzbud, which lists it as 'Runway', explains the name: a long, relatively flat reef structure that runs parallel to the cliffs like a landing strip. It lies on the outer, ocean face of North Head close to Bluefish Point, and the layout is a sloping boulder field from about 10 m down to lower reef platforms, the runway itself, and a sand line at 25–27 m. The deep platform edge carries the sponge gardens, gorgonian fans and sea tulips that make the eastern North Head faces so colourful, and the boulder slope above holds the ledges and gaps where the sharks live. Fish and animals are those of the Bluefish area: wobbegongs and Port Jackson sharks in the boulders, moray eels, eastern blue groper, giant cuttlefish in winter, schools of yellowtail and southern pomfret over the platform and kingfish along the edge, with grey nurse sharks from the Bluefish Valley colony wandering along the wall in the cooler months. Bull rays cross the sand. Depth and current make it an Advanced dive: the interesting structure is at 25 m, no-decompression time is short, current runs along the wall, and swell surge works the boulders, so it is a settled-weather, morning dive with a DSMB ascent. It suits Advanced divers on a Manly boat wanting a deeper alternative to the sheltered sponge gardens, and it is a good place for wide-angle photography when the water is blue. Documentation is thin – an operator listing and a Vizzbud page – so depths and the exact position are approximate.
What you might see
Wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, moray eels, eastern blue groper, giant cuttlefish, yellowtail, southern pomfret, kingfish, grey nurse sharks (occasional), bull rays, sponges, gorgonians, sea tulips
Location
A long, flat reef platform running parallel to the cliffs 'like a landing strip' on the outer face of North Head near Bluefish Point, from a boulder slope at 10 m to a sand line at 25–27 m; listed by Pro Dive Manly among its North Head sites.
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
vizzbud.comprodive.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.