Hardy Reef - Coral Sea
Lochmara, tucked away in Kaikōura, is one of those places that surprises you. Forget dramatic walls or pelagic encounters, this site is all about the little things, and a fantastic example of a conservation success story. We love seeing the ongoing work to regenerate the kelp forests; you can really see the difference it makes to the fish life. Dropping to a gentle 10 metres, the focus here is the small stuff, especially around the underwater observatory. We’ve had fantastic luck spotting olive rockfish tucked into crevices and common triplefins zipping about. Keep an eye out for the resident conger eel, he’s usually lounging under his favourite rock, looking grumpy. Visibility averages 4 metres, which sounds low, but it actually forces you to slow down and really observe. It’s a great spot for newer divers or those who prefer a relaxed pace and appreciate the smaller wonders of the temperate reef. You’ll be surrounded by schools of blue mackerel, and if you’re patient, a short-tail stingray might glide past. Above the surface, the conservation work continues, with plenty of birdlife like spotted shags and blue penguins adding to the experience.
- Location
- Coral Sea, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -23.287200, 150.840400
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Cawarral Creek
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