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Whitsunday Dive Sites

The Great Barrier Reef surrounding the Whitsundays boasts some of the most famous, and some of the most unusually named, dive sites in Queensland. Favourites such as the Stepping Stones and the Pinnacles are named for their physical attributes, whereas the naming of Wuggle Fish Wall might need some clarification from the dive instructor!

There are many ways to go diving in the Whitsundays. Start in Airlie Beach with an e-learning course to get yourself underway before you head out to these beautiful reef sites to commence the underwater part of your dive training. You can complete your Open Water or more advanced diving courses in Airlie Beach, or just take part in day dives or overnight diving trips to see as many of these spectacular sites as you can fit into one trip.

Browse our list of dive sites below to get an idea of where you can dive and what you might see while diving in the Whitsunday Islands. 
 


 
Snorkelling, Great Barrier Reef, QLD
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Bait Reef and Garys Lagoon Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Bait Reef, located off Hamilton Island, is one of the best known and most spectacular locations on the Great Barrier Reef. Gary's Lagoon is well protected, making it a great site for snorkellers...

Blue Pearl Bay southern beach and rock formations
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Blue Pearl Bay

Location: Hayman Island, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves

Blue Pearl Bay is located on the north-western side of Hayman Island in the Whitsundays Group. Popular with tourists and locals for snorkelling, diving and sightseeing, Blue Pearl Bay is known...

Butterfly Bay, Hook Island, Whitsundays
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Butterfly Bay - Hook Island

Location: Hook Island, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves, Zoos, Sanctuaries, Aquariums and Wildlife Parks

A popular bareboat anchorage, Butterfly Bay is situated on the northern side of Hook Island. There are limited public moorings and snorkelling can be enjoyed along the bay edge or just off the...

Caves and Canyons Dive Site

Caves and Canyons Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Caves and Canyons, located on Hook Reef in the Great Barrier Reef, is a 60 metre wall with a 20 metre shelf. This shelf is dotted with scores of bommies which are yet to be discovered and mapped....

Drop Zone Dive Site

Drop Zone Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Drop Zone, off Airlie Beach located on the Great Barrier Reef is a drift dive with attitude! Drop into this dive and let the current do its thing. Featuring soft corals, whip corals, staghorn...

See brightly coloured corals and abundant marine life at Fairey Reef
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Fairey Reef

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves, Zoos, Sanctuaries, Aquariums and Wildlife Parks

Situated on the Great Barrier Reef, Fairey Reef has a number of excellent dive sites that are popular with local dive tour operators. Sites such as Henry's Bommie, Little Fairey Inlet, The Shoals...

The River, The Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef
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Great Barrier Reef - Whitsundays

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves, Zoos, Sanctuaries, Aquariums and Wildlife Parks

Said to be the world’s largest living structure and the only one visible from outer space, the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef is often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. The...

Hardy Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
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Hardy Reef

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves

Hardy Reef, on the Great Barrier Reef off Airlie Beach, is home to the Reefworld Pontoon. There is spectacular fish life with Trevally, Coral Trout, Snapper and a host of smaller marine life as...

Bareboaters often moor near Langford Island for a day picnic and walk
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Langford Island

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves

Langford Island, near Hayman Island in the northern Whitsundays is a popular spot with sailors, divers and snorkellers. Many of the bareboats and crewed sailing boats will anchor near Langford...

Luncheon Bay is very protected from most wind conditions.
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Luncheon Bay

Location: Hook Island, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves

Luncheon Bay is situated on the northern side of Hook Island and features pristine coral and superb marine life. Luncheon Bay is popular with beginner divers thanks to its easy beach entry option....

Manta Ray, Queensland

Manta Ray Bay Dive Site

Location: Hook Island, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Manta Ray Bay, at Hook Island in the Whitsundays, has an array of underwater valleys, caves, and swim-throughs leading all the way to the seafloor 25 metres below. Considered one of the best dive...

Manta Ray Drop Off Dive Site

Manta Ray Drop Off Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Manta Ray Drop Off, in the Whitsundays on the Great Barrier Reef, boasts spectacular underwater cliffs and a plunging wall that drops off to 30 metres. The wall is covered with gorgonians, soft...

Snorkelling at Maureens Cove Hook Island. Photo courtesy of Adventure Photography Whitsunday.
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Maureens Cove, Hook Island

Location: Hook Island, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves

Situated on the northern side of Hook Island, Maureen's Cove is a popular anchorage with sailors and divers alike. There are two dive sites at Maureen's Cove. At the back of the cove, on the...

Diving on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Seaflight Bommie Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Seaflight Bommie Dive Site is a majestic coral decorated bommie that sits in the Knuckle Reef Lagoon on Airlie Beach. This site offers you an incredible diversity of corals and marine life to...

Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Stepping Stones Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Stepping Stones, off Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, is a series of 18 or more flat-topped coral pinnacles forming "stepping stones" with many interesting channels and caves to explore....

Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

The Aquarium Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

The Aquarium, off Airlie Beach on the Great Barrier Reef, is a beautiful lagoon for all divers to circumnavigate. This lagoon is constantly covered in water allowing access for all forms of marine...

The Hangover Dive Site

The Hangover Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

The Hangover, located off Airlie Beach on the Great Barrier Reef, is a wall dive with exciting terrain to be negotiated by the diver. Larger marine life such as Giant Trevally, Barramundi, Cod and...

Come face to face with a giant Manta Ray at The Pinnacles
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The Pinnacles

Location: Hook Island, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions, National Parks and Reserves, Zoos, Sanctuaries, Aquariums and Wildlife Parks

Arguably the best dive site in the Whitsundays, with hard corals comparing favourably to those seen on the outer Great Barrier Reef. The best dive is off the western beach, adjacent to the...

Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Wallys Wall Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Wally's Wall, on the Great Barrier Reef off Airlie Beach, is a 45-50 minute gently sloping wall dive. So named due to the population of large male Humpheaded Maori Wrasse located here. These huge...

Hard and Soft Coral, Great Barrier Reef, Whitsundays

Wuggle Fish Wall Dive Site

Location: Whitsundays, QLD   |   Type: Natural Attractions

Wuggle Fish Wall, on the Great Barrier Reef off Airlie Beach, is an outer wall drop off with current making it a great drift dive. The shallow coral garden is untouched and the marine life is...

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