World renowned for some of the best diving experiences you will ever encounter, the Ribbon Reefs are long, thin strips of reef, which form the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef around 50 km -- 100 km off the northern Queensland shore and so are accessed only by Australian liveaboards.
Characteristically no wider than 450m, the Ribbon Reefs are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and are covered in colourful corals that attract a plethora of reef life big and small, with sandy gullies separating them, themselves containing interesting critters.
The Ribbon Reefs are generally quite shallow, coming up to as high as 5 metres below the surface from a sandy bottom that is between 15-20 metres below the surface. With great visibility year round and mostly calm sea surfaces, they are the staple of many liveaboards and provide fascinating Australia scuba diving opportunities for all levels of diver.
Highlights
One of the most famous Great Barrier Reef dive sites and a spectacle to behold, Cod Hole, as the name suggests, is a dive site famous for cod. Giant potato cod to be exact. What makes this site special is that the giant potato cod are virtually domesticated thanks to 2 decades of being fed by divemasters. There's something special about a 60 kg fish swimming right up to you for a nibble from your hand. During feeding time everyone joins the action as coral trout, sweetlips, triggerfish and trevally also try to muscle in on the action.
Steve's Bommie is a bit of a legendary dive site. The ballade of Steve varies according to who's telling the story, but the common thread is that Steve loved this bommie, came to an untimely end and had the bommie named after him. A memorial plaque can be seen at 25m where most divers start on this site. Legends aside, Steve's Bommie features a wealth of schooling action, big fish and macro life. Cruising barracudas, whitetip reef sharks and possibly even minke whales will leave you wanting to look everywhere at once.
The Temple of Doom is another peculiarly named Ribbon Reef dive site. Aside from macro action on the bommie itself, pelagic fish are a constant and you'll have to ration your time between the reef and the blue. Shark sightings are common as are large rays and bluefin trevally of the 70 cm plus variety.
Diving Season
Due to Queensland's tropical climate, any time of the year is a good time to dive the Ribbon Reefs. Water temperatures fluctuate between 22°C in winter and 29°C during summer. Visibility is good year round, with best vis from September to November.
During the wet summer months rainfall is moderate but usually limited to early mornings and later afternoons. The dry winter months see little rain. Surface conditions are always calm, but can become moderate during winter.
Reef Summary
Good for: Underwater photography, large animals, reef life and health and small animals
Not so good for: Wreck dives
Depth: 5 -- 30m
Visibility: 10 -- 30m
Currents: Gentle
Surface conditions: Calm, moderate in winter
Water temperature: 22 -- 29 °C
Experience level: Beginner -- advanced
Number of dive sites: about 25
Distance: 140 km north of Cairns
Access: Australian liveaboard
Recommended length of stay: 1 week
Gavin Macaulay is Marketing Director of Dive The World which aims to help divers find the perfect scuba diving holiday in some of the world's most exciting dive destinations. He offers opinions and advice on diving related topics based on his own experiences.
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