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Norman Reef - Caves

Norman Reef’s Caves site, often just called "The Caves" by the liveaboard crews, has always been one of our favourites for a relaxed second dive. It’s got this great mix of shallow, sun-drenched coral gardens for newer divers and some genuinely fun swim-throughs for those who like a bit more exploration. We’ve probably logged more bottom time here just drifting through the dappled light of the larger caverns than anywhere else on Norman. What really gets us about The Caves is the sheer number of those Filament-finned Parrotfish – they’re everywhere, munching away, leaving little puffs of sand. Keep an eye out for green turtles too; they’re regular visitors, often just chilling near the cave mouths. The coral here is fairly resilient, mostly hard corals, with plenty of little nooks for clownfish and their anemones. Visibility usually hovers around 15 metres, which is perfectly good for navigating the twists and turns inside. For the deeper sections, maxing out at 16 metres, you can often spot a white-tip reef shark cruising past. Our best tip? Go early in the morning for the quietest experience and the best light filtering into the swim-throughs.