Muirfield reef - Christmas Island
Palaster Reef is an interesting dive, one that we’ve always enjoyed on Barbuda’s calmer days. It’s not a deep spot, mostly a gentle slope of hard coral formations, but that makes it ideal for really taking your time. We love drifting along the sand channels here, especially in the late afternoon. That’s when you often spot the little post horn squid, almost translucent, hovering just above the sand, or sometimes a red grouper eyeing you from under a coral ledge. What makes Palaster shine isn’t the big pelagics – you’re not likely to see a sperm whale here, despite what some older records might suggest – it's the sheer density of smaller, fascinating critters. Keep your eyes peeled for cardinal cones moving slowly across the substrate, or the tiny, intricate shells like the modest triphora clinging to coral. We’ve spent entire dives just in a 20-meter stretch, finding new things with every pass. It’s a photographer’s dream if macro is your game, and fantastic for newer divers who want to build their confidence without strong currents.
- Location
- Christmas Island, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -13.232960, 96.072600
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Christmas Island
The warmest water temperatures in Christmas Island occur in April, averaging 28.9°C. The coolest conditions are in October at 26.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.3°C
- February: 28.6°C
- March: 28.7°C
- April: 28.9°C
- May: 28.8°C
- June: 28.2°C
- July: 27.7°C
- August: 27.2°C
- September: 26.9°C
- October: 26.8°C
- November: 26.8°C
- December: 27.5°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Christmas Island
- Perpendicular Wall (wall)
- Snorkeling in the Rip (drift)
- Turk Reef (reef)
Marine Life in Christmas Island
Home to 117 recorded species including 81 reef fish, 10 hard corals, 8 sea cucumbers, 7 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 sharks & rays, 3 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Three-spot wrasse (Halichoeres trimaculatus) - Reef Fish
- Threadfin (Chaetodon auriga) - Reef Fish
- Lemon Peel (Centropyge flavissima) - Reef Fish
- Batavian Parrotfish (Scarus psittacus) - Reef Fish
- Black Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigricans) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Surgeonfish (Acanthurus leucosternon) - Reef Fish
- Manini (Acanthurus triostegus) - Reef Fish
- Candelamoa Parrotfish (Hipposcarus harid) - Reef Fish
- Clown Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ornatissimus) - Reef Fish
- Chestnut Blenny (Cirripectes castaneus) - Reef Fish
- Maypole Butterflyfish (Chaetodon meyeri) - Reef Fish
- Sponsal Cone (Conus sponsalis) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus) - Reef Fish
- Humphead Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) - Reef Fish
- Silver-streaked rainbowfish (Stethojulis strigiventer) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Cheilinus trilobatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-dashed Rockskipper (Blenniella periophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Flea Cone (Conus pulicarius) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
Recommended Packing List for Muirfield reef
Based on average water temperature of 27.9°C, currents 16 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories