Meet the site
The Towers is another lesser-documented Cocos site, described in Underwater Australasia's 'Destination Cocos (Keeling) Islands' feature. The article reports healthy coral covering every available space, with the same fish community as at Unicorn's Playground – parrotfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, and dart and fire gobies. The name suggests coral towers or pinnacles rising from the bottom, a common structure on Cocos reefs, but no layout, GPS or depth details have been published, and the site does not appear on the official tourism listing. Towers or bommies typically make for relaxed dives where divers circle each structure, looking at the coral and the fish sheltering around them, with sand between the towers where gobies and garden eels live. Given the description of coral 'covering all available space', the site is likely a good wide-angle and coral photography dive in clear water. Visibility around Cocos is typically 20–30 m. The site presumably suits Open Water divers, but depth and current should be confirmed in the briefing. Ask Cocos Dive for it by name; operator site names change over time, and The Towers may now be known by another name or have been merged with a neighbouring site. As with every Cocos site, the lack of run-off, the low fishing pressure and the tiny number of divers mean coral cover is high and the reef fish are relaxed around divers, so a slow pace with frequent pauses reveals far more than covering distance. Bring a torch to look under overhangs at the base of each tower, where squirrelfish, soldierfish and small morays often shelter.
What you might see
Hard corals, parrotfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, dart gobies, fire gobies
Location
Coral reef dive site described by Underwater Australasia on a Cocos Dive trip; position on the southern atoll not published.
Facilities nearby
Departs West Island; no shops or fuel on the outer islands – Cocos Dive supplies lunch on day trips.
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
underwater.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.