Meet the site
Swimming Pools is a pair of moorings on Milln Reef, Swimming Pools I and II, that Pro Dive Cairns lists as separate sites but which share the same character: coral outcrops and small bommies scattered over a sandy seabed at an average depth of about 10 m, with the deepest point around 21 m near an outer bommie. The name reflects how the sheltered sand patches between the coral look from the surface on a calm day. The layout is relaxed and easy, suiting divers of all levels and making it a good choice for a check-out or refresher dive. The signature sight is the schools of diagonal-banded sweetlips that hang in the shelter of the bommies, often dozens together, and Pro Dive Cairns also highlights nudibranchs, which can be found on almost every outcrop. The outer bommie is decorated with gorgonian fans. Turtles are frequently seen, barracuda cruise over the sand, and bull rays or cowtail rays rest on the bottom. Among the coral heads look for coral trout, anemonefish, parrotfish and damsels, and for garden eels and gobies on the sand. At night the Pools are an easy, rewarding site, with sleeping parrotfish, hunting barracuda and turtles, and plenty of crustaceans. The shallow tops of the outcrops are suitable for snorkellers when the tide is up. Because the two moorings are close together, the skipper chooses whichever is free and better sheltered on the day; the diving is essentially the same. Both moorings are well suited to a first dive after the long run out, and to divers who want to practise buoyancy over sand without worrying about depth.
What you might see
Diagonal-banded sweetlips (schools), nudibranchs, green turtles, barracuda, bull rays, cowtail rays, coral trout, anemonefish, parrotfish, garden eels, gorgonian fans
Location
Two adjacent moorings (Swimming Pools I and II) on Milln Reef, about 55 km east of Cairns, over coral outcrops and small bommies on sand.
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.
Sources & further reading
prodivecairns.comsilverseries.com.aucairnsdiveadventures.com.auRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.