Queensland
Diving in Ribbon Reefs & Lizard Island
The Ribbon Reefs are ten long, narrow reefs on the edge of the shelf north of Cairns, reached by liveaboard. They hold the Great Barrier Reef's most famous sites: the Cod Hole and its potato cod, Steve's Bommie's single fish-covered pinnacle, Pixie Pinnacle, the Lighthouse Bommie and Challenger Bay, with dwarf minke whales joining divers in June and July. Lizard Island, a national park with a research station and a resort, sits at the northern end.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Understand the options around Ribbon Reefs & Lizard Island
What this regional directory records Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
There are 43 published site records in Ribbon Reefs & Lizard Island. The recorded categories include reef (22), pinnacle/bommie (8), wall (7), drift (2). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Ribbon Reefs & Lizard Island site cards to compare recorded access and depth, then open the individual pages for the map accuracy and source notes. Sites grouped in a region are not necessarily close enough to combine in one day.
Research operators in Queensland →Ask before booking
- Which port and vessel will run our trip?
- Is the named reef a likely itinerary or a confirmed destination?
- What changes if our island transfer or boat departure moves?
Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Questions, answered
How do I choose a dive in Ribbon Reefs & Lizard Island?
Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 43 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.
When should I visit Ribbon Reefs & Lizard Island for diving?
Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.
Can I use these maps to enter or navigate a dive site?
No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.
Regional planning context: Tourism and Events Queensland — accessing the Great Barrier Reef ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Dive sites in this region
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Challenger Bay
A famous night dive where trevally and red bass hunt in divers' torch beams; easy daytime dive over sand, bommies and recovering…
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Clam Gardens
Around 14 giant clams up to 2 m long in bright, shallow coral gardens.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Clam Gardens (Lizard Island)
Giant clams up to 2 m long in shallow water a short swim from the beach.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Cod Hole
Diver-sized potato cod that approach to within centimetres; coral ridges, sand arena and deeper fans with pygmy seahorses.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Coral Kingdom
Dense, colourful branching-coral gardens in the shallows with cuttlefish and bumphead parrotfish.
Pinnacle/BommieRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Cracker Jack
Vertical walls draped in soft corals, black coral and elephant-ear sponges, with late-summer glassfish clouds and pygmy seahorses.
DriftRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Dynamite Pass
A current-fed drift along one of the richest coral walls in the northern Ribbon Reefs, with caverns and reef sharks.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Flare Point
Bright, shallow Acropora gardens with light rays and lagoon rays – the classic final dive of a Ribbon Reef trip.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Gotham City
A 30 m-long Pavona clavus colony, dusk mandarinfish and a lively night dive with hunting trevally and sharks.
Pinnacle/BommieRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Lighthouse Bommie
The classic dwarf minke whale site in June–July, and a pinnacle packed with fish, turtles and sea snakes all year.
Pinnacle/BommieRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Pixie Pinnacle
A small pinnacle packed from top to bottom with fish and critters, including the flashing 'disco clam'.
WallRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Pixie Wall
The Ribbon Reefs' most reliable summer manta cleaning station, on a wall with big fans and sun-coral trees.
Pinnacle/BommieRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Snake Pit
Reliable, curious olive sea snakes, schools of eagle rays in winter and plenty of sharks on an isolated patch reef.
Pinnacle/BommieRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Steve's Bommie
A legendary fish-magnet pinnacle with schooling trevally and barracuda plus superb macro and a memorial plaque.
Pinnacle/BommieRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Two Towers
Twin pinnacles capped with some of the best new Acropora growth on the Ribbons and a large Pavona clavus colony.
WallRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Vertical Gardens
A fan- and soft-coral-covered wall likened to Osprey's North Horn, open only in rare calm windows.
WallRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
West End (Ribbon Reef 9)
Two contrasting walls – gorgonian fans on one, chromis-topped Acropora on the other – plus dusk mandarinfish.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Blue Lagoon (Lizard Island)
Calm, shallow lagoon with layered coral, reached by a short walking track.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Cobia Hole
A tiny boulder pile teeming with fish – giant groupers, barracuda and nurse sharks – 10 minutes from the resort.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Goggle Gardens
A maze of shallow coral canyons and some of the healthiest coral gardens on the Ribbons, with displaying cuttlefish.
WallRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Joanie's Joy
An easy wall-and-bommie dive covering 3–30 m with cuttlefish, turtles and whitetips.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
MacGillivray Reef
Coral cay reef 20 minutes from Lizard with macro life, reef sharks and a seabird-nesting cay.
ReefRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Mermaid Cove (Lizard Island)
Sheltered cove with coral bommies, cuttlefish and swarms of fusiliers close to the resort.
WallRibbon Reefs & Lizard Island
Monolith
A wall of cascading fist coral with a chance of hammerheads cruising past.