Park Reef - Great Barrier Reef

Park Reef, for us, is one of those GBR sites that reminds you why you put up with the long boat rides. It doesn't scream for attention like some of its neighbours, but it delivers on those quiet moments. We’ve found the eastern wall particularly rewarding, dropping down to a sandy bottom peppered with a surprising density of wafer corals. It’s here, tucked into the overhangs, that we’ve often spotted those ornate lined-lip cowries. Keep your eyes peeled for Oriental maori wrasse cruising the reef top, their colours really pop against the blues. Dive this one slowly, let your eyes adjust, and you’ll start picking out the smaller stuff – the flash of a golden-girdled coralfish or the subtle movements of a blackspotted sea cucumber on the sand. The staghorn and lettuce corals here are in particularly good shape, providing plenty of nooks for juvenile rock cod. We'd suggest an early morning dive if you can swing it; the light filtering through the shallower sections of brain coral is something else. It's a relaxed dive, generally mild currents, making it a great pick for newer divers or anyone keen on a leisurely exploration.

Location: Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Australasia
Coordinates: -14.433333, 145.333330
Type: reef

Marine Protected Area: Starcke River (Ngulun)

Best Time to Dive in Great Barrier Reef

The warmest water temperatures in Great Barrier Reef occur in February, averaging 29.5°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 25.0°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

January: 29.4°C
February: 29.5°C
March: 29.2°C
April: 28.4°C
May: 26.9°C
June: 25.8°C
July: 25.1°C
August: 25.0°C
September: 25.4°C
October: 26.6°C
November: 27.7°C
December: 29.0°C

Nearest Dive Centres to Park Reef

Marine Life in Great Barrier Reef

Home to 163 recorded species including 88 reef fish, 61 hard corals, 9 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays, 1 starfish, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.

Notable Species

thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) - Sharks & Rays
Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora damicornis) - Hard Corals
Lineated Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) - Reef Fish
Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
Bird wrasse (Gomphosus varius) - Reef Fish
Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
Telescopefish (Epibulus insidiator) - Reef Fish
Banded thicklip (Hemigymnus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
Fluorescence grass coral (Galaxea fascicularis) - Hard Corals
Blunt-head Parrotfish (Chlorurus microrhinos) - Reef Fish
Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
Chameleon Parrotfish (Scarus chameleon) - Reef Fish
Citron Butterfly (Chaetodon citrinellus) - Reef Fish
Black-back Butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus) - Reef Fish

Recommended Packing List for Park Reef

Based on average water temperature of 27.3°C, currents 17 cm/s.

Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°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