Scuba Diving The Coral Sea, Australia

The Coral Sea is one of the best scuba diving destinations in Australia if not the world. With top rating dive sites including the Cod Hole, Flinders Reef, Steves Bommie, Yongala Wreck, the Ribbon Reefs, The Outer Great Barrier Reef, Osprey Reef, Shark Reef, Holmes Reef etc, the Coral Sea is an absolute mecca for any scuba diving fan whether you are a recreational open water diver or an advanced or technical diver, you will find diving sites that you only dream about!

The Coral Sea is home to huge schools of pelagic fish and sharks in an undersea world of mountains, pinnacles and sheer walls laced with gorgonian fans and rising from thousands of feet below. From 1000m wall drop offs to reefs absolutely teeming with all sorts of marine fish, the Coral Sea is undoubtedly one of the greatest diving destinations in the world.

The Coral Sea lies off the coast of North Queensland in Australia. The best way to dive this area, you need to jump aboard one of the many liveaboard dive charters that operate in Queensland. There are many great charters including the Spirit of Freedom, Mike Ball, Tusa, and Pro Dive. Most charters will pick you up in the late afternoon & do an overnight cruise to the Coral Sea. It can be a smooth or a harrowingly choppy ride depending on the weather. Once out at the reefs within the Coral Sea, you will be protected from the swell amp so can expect to be comfortable both onboard the charter boat and in the water.

The best time to dive the Coral Sea is between May to August as these are the cooler months in Australia and offers beautiful clear days and great visibility, although there are some days of stronger winds. From September to December, the weather warms up and you can expect some days of over 35 degrees Celsius, which is great if you are in the water, but can be uncomfortable when suiting up onboard your boat. The nice part about this time is that many coral reef species breed at this time. January through April is considered our wetter season with amazing feeding and marine action following the breeding season, although depending on the rain, the visibility at some sites may be affected and the days are usually colder.