Hardy Reef - Coral Sea
Hardy Reef offers a classic Outer Reef experience. Expect large coral bommies and plateaus, home to schools of snapper and fusiliers. It’s a good choice for divers looking for healthy, extensive coral formations, though it can get busy with day boats. Visibility is generally excellent, making it ideal for photographers.
- Location
- Coral Sea, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -19.766666, 149.250000
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Coral Sea
The warmest water temperatures in Coral Sea occur in March, averaging 28.3°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 21.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.9°C
- February: 28.3°C
- March: 28.3°C
- April: 27.2°C
- May: 25.0°C
- June: 23.0°C
- July: 21.6°C
- August: 21.2°C
- September: 22.3°C
- October: 24.3°C
- November: 26.3°C
- December: 27.7°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Coral Sea
- Anemone Bommies - Lady Elliot Island
- Bait Reef (reef)
- Barolin Point Dive Site
- Black Island “WONDERWALL“ (wall)
- Blue Pearl Bay 2 (reef)
- Butterfly Bay (reef)
- Butterfly Bay “KEYHOLE“ (reef)
- CHIN LONG WEE - 0m (wreck)
- Conical Rocks Reef (reef)
- Coral Gardens - Lady Elliot Island (reef)
- Corroboree Reef (reef)
- Cruise Whitsundays Pontoon
- Dangerous Reef (reef)
- Dangerous Reef (reef)
- Dolphin Point
Nearest Dive Centres to Hardy Reef
Marine Life in Coral Sea
Home to 120 recorded species including 73 reef fish, 30 hard corals, 8 seagrass & algae, 3 other, 2 sharks & rays, 1 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Dugong (Dugong dugon) - Whales & Dolphins
- halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- gray mangrove (Avicennia marina) - Seagrass & Algae
- Paddle Grass (Halophila decipiens) - Seagrass & Algae
- Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea)
- Common Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus) - Reef Fish
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Ward's Damsel (Pomacentrus wardi) - Reef Fish
- Rainford's Butterflyfish (Chaetodon rainfordi) - Reef Fish
- Blackedge thicklip wrasse (Hemigymnus melapterus) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Harlequin tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Hn (Halophila spinulosa) - Seagrass & Algae
- Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
- Golden Butterflyfish (Chaetodon aureofasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Longnose Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) - Reef Fish
- Rainbow Parrotfish (Scarus flavipectoralis) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Hardy Reef
Based on average water temperature of 25.2°C, currents 5 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 25°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