Meet the site
Tennis Court takes its name from a level, open patch of white sand that looks like a court from the surface, ringed by coral bommies and reef. It is one of the nine named moorings on Flynn Reef and is used mainly by Pro Dive Cairns on its liveaboard itineraries, where it provides a change of pace from the walls and pinnacles elsewhere on the reef. The dive is essentially an edge dive: most of the interest is where the coral meets the sand. Blue-spotted lagoon rays and cowtail stingrays rest on the sand, garden eels sway in colonies further out, and goatfish and sand-sifting gobies work the bottom. Around the perimeter, bommies of hard coral host the usual Flynn mix of fusiliers, parrotfish, butterflyfish, damsels and coral trout, and turtles often rest on the sand or at the base of the coral. Moray eels are common in holes on the bommies. Because the site is open and fairly shallow it is bright, easy to navigate and good for divers working on buoyancy or navigation skills, and for photographers who want rays and sand-dwellers against a clean background. At night the sand comes alive with hunting cuttlefish, crabs and shrimp, and sleeping fish tuck into the bommies. It is not one of Flynn's headline sites, and published detail is thinner than for Coral Gardens or Tracey's, but it is a pleasant, relaxed dive and rounds out a multi-dive stay on the reef. Snorkellers can see rays and turtles from the surface in good light.
What you might see
Blue-spotted lagoon rays, cowtail stingrays, garden eels, goatfish, gobies, turtles, moray eels, fusiliers, parrotfish, butterflyfish, coral trout
Location
Flat sandy area bordered by coral on Flynn Reef, about 57 km east of Cairns; one of the named Flynn moorings.
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.comcairnsdiveadventures.com.auRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.