Barry’s Pool

Best months: Jul–Nov

Why dive here

With 231+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blacktip reef sharks, blue sharks, grey reef sharks and manta rays - Barry’s Pool offers some of Cocos (Keeling) Islands's richest reef diving. Water ranges 27-29°C, warmest January, February, March.

Best timeJul–Nov

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Blue Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks and Manta Rays · 231+ species recorded

Water27-29°C · warmest January, February, March

CharacterReef dive · max 5-15m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Barry’s Pool is a standout on the northwestern side of Horsburgh Island. We’d classify it as a wall dive, but that doesn't quite capture the experience. You drop over the edge, maybe 20 metres down, and the scale is immediate. Huge rose wall corals cling to the vertical face, and the sea fans are just enormous, swaying gently in the current. The real show, though, is the reef itself. We’ve spotted Leopard Blennies flitting about and plenty of Two-tone Wrasse darting through the Staghorn and Montipora. Keep an eye out into the blue for Blacktip Reef Sharks, especially if you’re doing this as an early morning dive. The sharks are usually there, patrolling just beyond the reef edge. It’s a site that rewards patience and a good eye for the smaller things, while still giving you that big animal thrill. Our favourite part is the shallow ocean pool at the end. After the deep wall, finning into that nine-meter-deep natural pool, with the light filtering down, it’s a lovely way to finish. It’s a site for those with a few dives under their belt, comfortable with a bit of depth and keen to really soak in the coral architecture and the passing pelagics.