Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Jun–Oct · Moderate current · 22–30°C (coldest Jul, warmest Jan)
- Current
- Moderate
- Water temperature
- 22–30°C (coldest Jul, warmest Jan)
- Visibility
- 15–30m: Commonly 15-30m on the outer Ribbon Reefs, generally better in the drier winter months (June-October).
- Experience
- Sheltered reef sections suit Open Water divers, but the pinnacles (Lighthouse, Steve's, Pixie) and passes such as Dynamite Pass run current and reach 30m+, so Advanced Open Water…
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | not seen |
| February | not seen |
| March | not seen |
| April | not seen |
| May | rare |
| June | peak season |
| July | peak season |
| August | rare |
| September | not seen |
| October | not seen |
| November | not seen |
| December | not seen |
Strongly seasonal: the aggregation forms on the northern Ribbon Reefs in June and July only, coinciding with the whales' winter migration.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident on the Ribbon Reefs (locally called Maori wrasse); commonly seen at the Cod Hole and along outer reef walls.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident year-round at the Cod Hole and reliably seen there; not migratory.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident; forms dense schools around the pinnacles, notably Steve's Bommie and Pixie Pinnacle.
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
Challenger Bay
A sheltered Ribbon Reef 10 site favoured for night dives, where giant trevally hunt in divers' torch beams.
5–30m · Mild current
Cod Hole
The signature Ribbon Reef 10 site.
5–25m · Moderate current
Dynamite Pass
A pass near the northern Ribbon Reefs dived as a drift.
5–30m · Strong current
See all 6 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to CNS. Typical trip $$$.
Route overview
Moderate
Reachable but with some friction: a 10h boat crossing.
Airport options
CNS
Cairns Airport
Main arrival airport; liveaboards board in Cairns, and most itineraries depart or return here
LZR
Lizard Island Airport
Used for fly-dive transfers by light aircraft (about 1 hour from Cairns) to shorten the crossing to the northern Ribbon Reefs
Typical trip cost
$$$
over $4,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- Liveaboard-only.
- Mike Ball's April 2026-March 2027 rates run from about AUD $2,500 (budget cabin, 3-night Fly Dive Cod Hole) to about AUD $7,000 (premium, 7-night Coral Sea Safari) per person, with 4-night and 5-night Cod Hole/Coral Sea trips in the AUD $2,800-$5,000 range depending on cabin.
- Add the government Environmental Management Charge of AUD $8.
- 50 per day (capped at 3 days on multi-day trips), a fuel surcharge of about AUD $20 per person per night for departures from May 2026, and international/domestic flights to Cairns.
- Minke expeditions also suggest a voluntary AUD $15/day donation to the Minke Whale Project.