Clerke Reef

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Rowley Shoals

Why dive here

With 365+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, giant moray eels, grey reef sharks, hammerhead sharks and humpback whales - Clerke Reef offers some of Rowley Shoals's richest reef diving. Water ranges 26-31°C, warmest January, February, March.

Best timeJul–Sep

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Giant Moray Eels, Grey Reef Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks and Humpback Whales · 365+ species recorded

Water26-31°C · warmest January, February, March

CharacterReef dive

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Clerke Reef. Now, this is what we picture when someone says ‘remote Australian diving’. The sheer scale of the coral bommies here is incredible, some of them towering up from the seabed, solid walls of staghorn and brain coral. We’ve drifted along the outer edges, feeling that gentle push of the current, watching schools of twinstripe fusiliers stream past, glittering like confetti. Keep an eye out for the Maori wrasse; they’re enormous here and incredibly curious, often coming right up to check you out. It’s the clarity that really hits you. You can be at 20 metres and still see the dive boat silhouetted on the surface. We love the feeling of just hanging there, suspended, with whitetip reef sharks gliding effortlessly below and the occasional glimpse of a honeycomb filefish camouflaged against the coral. This isn't a dive for chasing tiny critters, though you’ll spot flame cardinalfish and dusky blennies tucked away. Clerke is for soaking in vast, unspoiled reefscapes, for divers who appreciate pristine environments and don’t mind a journey to get there.