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Carter Reef

Carter Reef is one of those places where the Great Barrier Reef really shows off. We’ve drifted along its eastern wall more times than we can count, and it always delivers. The corals here, especially the large porcelain coral colonies, form incredible platforms that give way to drop-offs filled with schooling fusiliers – so many of them sometimes the light struggles to get through. Keep an eye out for the floral wrasse darting around these formations; their colours just pop against the blue. We love it for its sheer scale and the way larger pelagics often cruise past, particularly black marlin during certain seasons. If you're lucky, you might even spot a tawny nurse shark tucked away in an overhang. Our favourite time to dive Carter is early morning, just as the sun hits the reef face, bringing out the vibrant hues of the honeycomb corals and attracting the busy goldspeckled shrimpgobies to their burrow entrances. Visibility is usually good, but we’d suggest going with a liveaboard that knows the currents well, as they can pick up, making for an exciting drift. This spot is perfect for divers who appreciate big reef structures and the possibility of seeing something truly spectacular pass by.