Spanish Eyes

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 - Spanish Eyes 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

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Spanish Eyes sits off the eastern side of Home Island, a site we only ever manage to hit in the height of summer, or when those stubborn winter trade winds finally back off. The wreck itself is a yacht, well-broken now, which found its final resting place after a navigation error. The story adds a touch of melancholy, but what we really love is how it's become a canvas for the reef. We drop onto a relatively shallow reef top, often greeted by that incredible 40-meter visibility Cocos is known for. The wreck is scattered, not a proud, intact vessel, but a collection of ribs and hull sections now encrusted with hard and soft corals. You’ll weave through coral bommies, spotting schools of cardinal soldierfish darting in and out, while blue surgeonfish graze the nearby reef. For the experienced divers, that drop-off just beyond the wreck is where the grey reef sharks and barracuda patrol, making for an exhilarating bounce dive. It’s a site that rewards a slow exploration, not a quick fly-by.