[vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner]The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest reef system, abundant in tropical fish, hard and soft corals, larger marine life and year-round sunshine. If you’re stuck on where to begin navigating your Great Barrier Reef holidays, our list of the top scuba diving and snorkelling spots around Orpheus Island will point you in the right direction.
Orpheus Island’s Best Local Dive Sites
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Fantome Island
Venture just 20 minutes from Orpheus and you’ll stumble upon Fantome Island. A stunning shallow bay with crystal clear water, a sandy bottom and beautiful coral garden with a good variety of hard corals including large plates, boulders, and staghorn. With a max depth of 10m and little to no current, this is a great spot for beginners or a refresher dive.
Expect to see shoals of tropical reef fish including large bat, angel, damsel, and parrot fish. White tip reef sharks, turtles and stingrays are also sometimes spotted in the waters surrounding Fantome Island, with manta rays common in the winter months.[vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1615″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1565584650819{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]
Curacao Island | Eastern Side
Head around to the Eastern side of Curacao Island and discover a stunning site dominated by plate corals of all colours, shapes and sizes. Wandering into the deeper sections, you will discover incredible large boulder corals and stunning fish species includes parrot, trout, butterfly, angel and surgeon fish. Some white tip reef sharks and large hump headed maori wrasse have also been spotted here!
With a maximum depth of 18m, Curacao Island is the perfect spot for all levels of diving to explore.[vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1646″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1565583908645{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]
Curacao Island | North-West Bay
The North-West bay side of Curacao Island is renowned for its large sloping wall and being home to arguably the biggest diversity of corals of all the inner sites. Expect to see an array of large sea whips, fans, barrel sponges, enormous patches of spaghetti coral, plates, staghorn, boulder and brain corals at this secluded spot.
A large variety of exotic marine life can be found off Curacao Island including schooling fusiliers, angel, parrot, butterfly and damsel fish. Some anemone and lion fish, moray eels, nudibranchs and painted crayfish are also often spotted in the calm waters.
This site has a max depth of 25m and depending on tides can offer an exciting drift or little to no current. Great for all levels of diving![vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1618″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1565584699847{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]
Pelorus Island | Bat Cave Drift
Head to Pelorus Island to view the incredible array of sea whips, fans and other soft corals side by side with big boulder and plate corals; this unique dive site really gives divers the best of both worlds. Pelorus Island is full of surprises as the changing current brings new marine life on a daily basis. Leopard rays, guitar sharks, turtles and even mantas rays in the winter time, have all been seen among plenty of colourful tropical reef fish.
With a max depth of 18m, a dive around the top corner of Pelorus Island can be perfect for advanced drift divers or a gentler option for an introduction dive depending on the tides.[/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner]
The Best Outer Reef Dive Sites To Visit During Your Stay
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Bramble Bommie
Bramble Bommie is one of the most spectacular coral sites on the Great Barrier Reef and a favourite with our dive instructors. This large pinnacle starts at 5-7m on the top and has amazingly healthy coral coverage down to 25m where it flattens out to a sandy bottom.
With an abundance of marine life, it’s not uncommon to find yourself surrounded by a large school of silvery fusiliers, face to face with a curious white tip reef shark or floating past the many anemones and colourful tropical reef fish around this site.[vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1667″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1566259048888{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]
Walker Reef Sand Cay
Walker Reef Sand Cay is a stunning sand cay teeming with a huge variety of marine life. This dive is perfect for all levels of diving with a max depth of 18m, lots of beautiful shallow corals and lots to see including, white tip reef sharks, stingrays, schooling surgeon fish, steep head parrot fish, humphead maori wrasse, angel and butterfly fish. This is one of the places we can guarantee guests to see the true Nemo![vc_empty_space height=”10px”][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1619″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1565584968608{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]
Walker Reef | ‘The Crevice Wall’
‘The Crevice Wall’ at Walker Reef, is a unique site with a 14m wall and multiple openings for divers to explore. Visitors to this special site will find exotic fish hiding in the safety of the crevices including red bass, spotted sweetlip, coral trout, barramundi cod, and red emperor. Lucky divers can sometimes see humphead maori wrasse, tawny nurse sharks and white tip reef sharks on the reef. Beautiful coral in the shallows makes the Walker Reef a great introductory dive site.
(Please note these are not caves, but openings where you can always immediately ascend to the surface).[vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1647″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1565585041790{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]
Walker Reef | Swim Throughs
The Walker Reef swim throughs are a series of swim throughs on a group of bommies off the main reef wall. These swim throughs start at 18m and gradually shallow up towards the reef edge. Schooling fusiliers, white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, anemones, parrot fish, turtles, batfish, damsel fish, and moray eels are just a few of the beautiful species that frequently visit the Walker Reef. Manta rays can also be seen here in the summer months.
This dive has a max depth of 18m and is great for all abilities.[/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image=”1668″ img_size=”full”]
Book Your Stay At Orpheus Island Lodge
Scuba diving and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef is like nothing you have experienced before. Orpheus Island Lodge is the ultimate luxury accommodation where you can stay close to the lodge and explore the fringing reefs or book an excursion to the outer reefs. To make an enquiry for your next holiday, please click below.
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