Pompey Reef

Best months: Mar–Jul

Why dive here

With 113+ marine species recorded in the area - including dugongs, grey reef sharks, humpback whales, sea turtles and tiger sharks - Pompey Reef offers some of Coral Sea's richest reef diving. Water ranges 25-30°C, warmest January, February, March.

Best timeMar–Jul

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeDugongs, Grey Reef Sharks, Humpback Whales, Sea Turtles and Tiger Sharks · 113+ species recorded

Water25-30°C · warmest January, February, March

CharacterReef dive

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

Pompey Reef, out in the Coral Sea, always feels like a proper expedition. It’s that blue water diving, a long way from anywhere, and it tends to deliver. We've found the visibility here to be consistently excellent, often pushing 30 metres, which lets you really appreciate the scale of the place. The corals are what we notice first, particularly the massive plate and staghorn formations that stretch out as far as you can see. It feels ancient. Keep an eye out for the big pelagics cruising by; we’ve had some cracking encounters with whitetip reef sharks here, often just hanging out in the current. Bumphead parrotfish are pretty much a given, usually in small schools, chomping away at the coral. We also love spotting the more unusual reef fish, like the Meredith's Angelfish, which are surprisingly common here. It’s a site that rewards patience, letting you drift and absorb the sheer volume of life. Go in the morning; the light hitting those massive coral structures is something else.

Today05:3117:5912h 28m daylightGolden hour 17:30

Reviews for Pompey Reef

Conditions

Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Pompey Reef

Pompey Reef Ocean Conditions

Monthly averages for Pompey Reef, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU) - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-16.5, 148) (0km away)