What to Expect Night Diving on the Great Barrier Reef

Considered by many to be the best dive destination in the world, the Great Barrier Reef is home to a wide variety of marine life. Classified as the largest reef on Earth, it offers a diverse underwater topography for divers to explore and discover. One of the greatest ways to experience this fantastic underwater ecosystem is to visit it at night. Night diving provides divers with the opportunity to witness the reef as it comes to life in unique ways, teeming with nocturnal creatures, many of which are never seen during the light of day. If you’re interested in exploring the Great Barrier Reef at night, then be sure to read on to learn all that it has to offer!

 

When To Go

 

The Great Barrier Reef lies along the coast of Queensland, which offers a tropical climate year-round. While the warmer weather means that you can dive pretty much any time of the year, diving conditions and marine life will vary depending upon the season. Generally speaking, June to December is considered the high season for diving, especially night diving, due to the coastline’s low levels of rainfall and clearer water visibility. This also happens to be a great time to spot a variety of larger marine life. Minke and humpback whales are most commonly sighted in June and July, while sea turtles are active from September to December, with breeding and nesting periods occurring during the months of October and November. 

 

The hottest time of the year is from January to February, which coincides with the monsoon season. During this time, you can expect lots of rain and lower water visibility. However, it doesn’t last long, as the weather starts to clear up in the month of March. This also happens to be when baby sea turtles begin hatching, which in turn attracts a variety of sharks. This makes it an excellent time for both shark and turtle encounters. However, if you do decide to dive during this time of the year, you’ll want to be careful, as it is also the start of jellyfish season. Deadly and dangerous jellyfish are known to frequent the Great Barrier Reef from March to May, so you’ll most likely need to don a special stinger suit to prevent injury. Many dive companies and liveaboards will have these suits available for you to rent.

 

How To Go

 

No matter what time of the year you decide to visit the Great Barrier Reef, you’ll have the choice to either explore the reef from land or aboard a dive cruise, with both options offering great opportunities for night diving. Most of the shore diving around the Great Barrier Reef takes place near the town of Cairns, where several dive operators are located. Many of these dive companies offer short out and back trips to the nearby reefs. There are also a few dive resorts a little further north in Port Douglas that cater specifically to divers and snorkelers. 

 

For those who’d prefer to venture a bit farther from shore, several liveaboards provide dive excursions out to the farthest reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. Depending upon the number of days that you hop on board, you’ll have the opportunity to dive a wide variety of sites, both those closer to shore and farther away. Generally speaking, the sites that are only accessible by boat are further out in the ocean and offer deeper dives along with a wider variety of marine life. 

 

What You’ll See

 

Night diving along the Great Barrier Reef provides the opportunity to glimpse a variety of marine life that isn’t typically seen during the day. This includes several nocturnal fish and crustaceans, such as the painted lobster, sunfish, crayfish, red bass, octopus, and moray eel. You’re also likely to catch glimpses of large pelagic fish, such as the giant trevally and tuna, which are known to use the light from divers’ torches to hunt their prey. And, of course, there are bound to be a plethora of sharks for you to observe. Sharks along the Great Barrier Reef are most active at night as they search for their prey, so you’re sure to spot at least a few reef sharks on each dive that you take.

 

Best Night Dives

 

There are many dive sites along the Great Barrier Reef that offer exceptional opportunities for night diving. However, the four that we’ve listed below are some of the most popular. Consider adding these to your itinerary if you’re planning a dive trip to the Great Barrier Reef!

 

Norman Reef

 

Located off the coast of Cairns, on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, Norman Reef is widely considered one of Australia’s best dive sites. Offering clear blue waters with visibility of up to 30 meters, this dive site is filled with coral reefs, caves, and an abundance of marine life. Thanks to its position on the reef’s outer edge, it’s possible to spot both reef and deep-sea creatures, including giant clams, moray eels, manta rays, turtles, and minke whales.

 

Flynn Reef

 

Situated just off the coast of Cairns, Flynn Reef is home to several well-known dive sites, including the Coral Gardens, Gordon’s Mooring, and the Tennis Courts. Composed of caves, crevasses, overhanging, and soft and hard coral, Flynn Reef plays host to a wide variety of marine life, both small and large. Here you can find everything from clownfish to giant clams, octopi, turtles, lobsters, and eels. At night the reef becomes especially active, with sharks and schools of barracuda coming out in droves to hunt for prey.

 

Ribbon Reefs

 

Ribbon Reefs stretches across 75 miles and is composed of ten individual reefs that are only accessible by liveaboard. Located north of Port Douglas, some of the most famous dive sites here include Cod Hole, Steve’s Bommie, and Lighthouse Bommie. Bursting with vibrantly colored coral, the reef is home to an abundance of marine life, including giant potato cod fish, golden sea snakes, barracuda, white tip reef sharks, and large Napoleon wrasse.

 

Osprey Reef

 

Home to a large population of sharks, Osprey Reef is located in the northernmost section of the Great Barrier Reef and can only be reached by liveaboard. With varying topography, the reef offers a variety of dives, including drift dives, coral dives, and wall dives. Here you can expect to find a mix of both reef and pelagic marine life, including whale sharks, manta rays, and turtles. Night diving here is especially eventful, as all the sharks come out to hunt their prey at night.



References:

 

Diving Squad: https://www.divingsquad.com/great-barrier-reef-diving/

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