reef

Log This Dive

Day Reef

Day Reef is one of those spots that just delivers. We’ve always found it to be a consistently good dive, reliable for that classic Great Barrier Reef feel without the crowds you sometimes get closer to Cairns. Drop in, and you’re immediately enveloped by the sheer density of the coral. We're talking massive bommies rising from the seabed, punctuated by delicate branching corals that host entire communities of fish. On our last trip, we spent a good chunk of time just watching the adorned dwarfgobies darting in and out of the honeycomb coral – they’re so tiny, you really have to slow down. Look a bit wider and you’ll spot the humphead unicornfish patrolling the reef edge, and the parrotfish, particularly the rivulated and batavian varieties, are always busy scraping algae. The black-saddled leatherjackets are often curious, coming in for a closer look. Visibility here can be stellar, often pushing 25 metres on a good day, especially around the slack tide. We'd suggest aiming for late morning or early afternoon dives when the sun really brings out the colours of the corals. It’s a comfortable dive, suitable for most experience levels, as long as you're comfortable with boat diving. We love it for its sheer visual abundance and the feeling of truly being in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.