Temple of Doom

Meet the site

Temple of Doom is a large, kidney-shaped bommie on the Ribbon Reefs, rising from a sandy seabed at about 24 m to within 3 m of the surface. It takes its name from its fish-eating residents: Dive the World notes it is named for its piscivorous fish, and schools of bluefin trevally up to 70 cm long hunt around the structure, providing near-constant predatory action.

The bommie's sides are cut with overhangs at 15–20 m where turtles rest and sharks shelter. The top is covered in hard and soft coral and feather stars, and schools of fusiliers, Moorish idols, butterflyfish, angelfish and surgeonfish crowd the upper levels. Redtail butterflyfish, trumpetfish, yellow goatfish, batfish and anemonefish are common, and sea squirts and nudibranchs decorate the walls. Large rays and reef sharks visit, and dwarf minke whales pass in the winter months.

Diversion Dive Travel gives an average depth of 20 m and a typical dive of 45 minutes. The shape of the bommie makes navigation simple: circle it once at depth and then work up.

Temple of Doom suits intermediate divers and is a good choice for photographers who like action, as the trevally attacks on baitfish can be spectacular in good light. Its precise location is not stated in the sources consulted, but it is grouped with the southern Ribbon sites, so the coordinates here are estimates. Treat it as a relaxed pinnacle dive with plenty of fish action and a straightforward profile, and save some air for the top, where the smaller reef fish are at their densest and the light is best.

What you might see

Bluefin trevally, reef sharks, large rays, turtles, fusiliers, Moorish idols, butterflyfish, angelfish, surgeonfish, trumpetfish, yellow goatfish, batfish, anemonefish, nudibranchs, feather stars, sea squirts; dwarf minke whales in winter

Location

A large kidney-shaped bommie rising from a 24 m sandy seabed to 3 m on the southern Ribbon Reefs.