Some of Australia's Best | Straddie Dive Sites
Flat Rock
Flat rock is located approximately 2.5 nautical miles north of point lookout. It is a fully protected marine park, with a no-fishing zone within 1.2km radius of the reef. Flat Rock itself is actually divided into 4 distinct and individual dive sites – The Nursery, Shark Alley, The Bowl and The Turtle Caves.
The Nursery is an amazing dive site located on the south-western corner of the reef at Flat Rock. It is the shallowest of Flat Rock’s dive sites and the focus here is on smaller creatures, rather than the big fish and rays that inhabit its neighbouring sites. Brilliant colours and formations make this dive site feel alive with all the smallest creatures of the ocean, hence the name the Nursery.
There is often a small amount of current on this site, however it is used as part of the dive and very rarely does a diver have to swim against it, making it a perfect place for beginner divers.
Local residents here include nudibranchs and all manner of micro-creatures, turtles, wobbegong sharks, leopard sharks (nov-apr), eagle rays, barracuda and other large pelagics, octopus, eels, hard and soft corals, and hundreds of tropical fish varieties.
Depth | 5 to 16m |
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Current | Minimal to Medium |
Visibility | 10 to 30m |
Experience Level | Beginner to Advanced |
Things to See | Coral gardens, colourful tropical fish and corals, micro creatures, turtles, wobbegongs, leopard sharks (November - April), rays, octopus, eels |
Shark Alley is located on the eastern edge of the Flat Rock reef and is one of our most favoured dive sites due to the endangered grey nurse shark population that inhabit this site from June – October. The dive site consists of two large sand bottom channels running parallel to each other, separated by rocky reef and some adjoining channels.
There is only approximately 500 grey nurse sharks remaining on the east coast of Australia, and Flat Rock is one of the premier sites to witness these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
Other attractions of this site include schools of rays (sometimes in the hundreds), large turtles, wobbegongs, pelagics, groupers, crayfish and crustaceans, plus hundreds of tropical fish varieties.
Depth | 12 to 35m |
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Current | Minimal to Medium |
Visibility | 10 to 30m |
Experience Level | Advanced |
Things to See | Grey nurse sharks, schools of rays, large turtles, wobbegongs, pelagics, groupers, crayfish and crustaceans, plus hundreds of tropical fish varieties |
The Bowl shaped rock formation (hence the name) on the south-eastern corner of the Flat Rock reef is a great dive site for both beginners and experienced divers. This site regularly offers divers the opportunity to witness an array of larger marine life, as well as numerous micro-species on the same dive. Current is usually minimal, however it can be quite strong. This site also usually has beautifully clear water, averaging around 15 metres visibility.
The bowl itself contains numerous micro-creatures and coral and reef formations to keep divers occupied, combined with the added attraction outside the bowl of a wall dropping down to 34metres. Outside the bowl divers often witness large cod and groupers, turtles, wobbegong, leopard, white-tip and grey nurse sharks, and schools of small, medium and large rays.
Depth | 10 to 34m |
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Current | Minimal to Medium |
Visibility | 10 to 30m |
Experience Level | Beginner to Advanced |
Things to See | Coral gardens, sharks, rays, turtles, octopus, eels, nudibranchs, large pelagics, tropical fish varieties |
Shag Rock
Shag Rock is an exposed rocky reef only a short 6 to 8 minute boat ride from the beach our Dive boats are launched from. Because of this it is the most protected dive site and offers great diving when conditions elsewhere take a turn for the worse.
Both sides of the reef offer great dive sites and are linked by a spectacular swim through cave, providing an exciting challenge for all levels of diver. This means that both sides can either be highly stimulating as two separate dives, or combined into one to get the best of both worlds.
Although Shag does not always have as high visibility as our other sites, it often has little or no current, making it a perfect spot for a relaxing dive for both beginner and experienced divers.
The local residents include wobbegong and bamboo sharks, eagle and bull rays, turtles, octopus, eels, nudibranchs, stonefish, sea urchins, numerous hard and soft corals and a large variety of tropical fish species. It is also possible to see leopard sharks, manta rays and grey nurse sharks passing by in their respective seasons.
Depth | 8 to 16m |
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Current | Minimal |
Visibility | 5 to 25m |
Experience Level | Beginner to Advanced |
Things to See | Swim through, Coral Gardens, Wobbegong and Bamboo sharks, turtles, rays, octopus, eels, stonefish and urchins, tropical fish varieties |
Manta Bommie
Manta Bommie is our premier dive site and is also ranked in the top 10 dive sites in Australia. It is located a short 10 minute boat trip from our dive centre and is a group of rocky reefs interspersed with large and small sand patches, small caves and holes and a long wall forming part of the dive. The bommie itself is a cleaning station for the migratory Manta Rays and other large marine life that frequent the area during summer (November – April).
On any given dive trip at the Bommie it’s not uncommon for divers to come face to face with multiple manta rays, as well as leopard sharks, guitar sharks, turtles, wobbegong and bamboo sharks, octopus, pelagics, bull, eagle and other large rays, lionfish plus much more all on the one dive.
Current can be an issue at the bommie, however it is often used as part of the dive in order to conserve energy and maximise bottom time.
Depth | 5 to 16m |
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Current | Minimal to Medium |
Visibility | 5 to 30m |
Experience Level | Beginner to Advanced |
Things to See | Manta rays, hard and soft corals, leopard sharks, guitar sharks, turtles, wobbegong and bamboo sharks, octopus, eels, pelagics, bull, eagle and other large rays, nudibranchs, lionfish, plus hundreds of tropical fish varieties. |
Middle Reef
Middle Reef is located about 1.5 nautical miles from Adder Rock. This dome shaped rock is often described as an underwater “Ayers Rock”, hiding 9m below the surface in 32m of water.
Middle reef is a site for the more advanced diver, as this rock is quite deep and prone to strong ocean currents.
This rock is home to a variety of tropical fish and soft corals, with a number of Nudibranchs and moray eels hiding in the nooks and crannies.
A variety of larger fish and rays can be seen when looking out into the depths, or looking up towards the surface. Middle Reef is also home to two resident Queensland Groper.
Depth | 10 to 32m |
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Current | Strong |
Visibility | 5 to 20m |
Experience Level | Advanced |
Things to See | Tropical fish and soft corals |
Boat Rock
Boat Rock is situated 0.5 nautical miles east of Point Lookout. This rock rises majestically from 30m at the ocean floor to break the surface.
It is shaped like a spire, with a ledge jutting out from the side at a depth of 15m, with a sheer cliff face dropping down through the depths.
This dive is more suitable for advanced divers because it is exposed, and has prevailing current. However, for exactly these reasons, it is also our most exciting dive sites, with schools of large fish, and marine life not usually seen at the more protected dive sites.
Depth | 15 to 30m |
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Current | Strong + Waves |
Visibility | 5 to 20m |
Experience Level | Advanced |
Things to See | Schools of large marine life |
Amity Point
Amity is a shore dive located off the north western corner of Stradbroke Island. It is within the bounds of Moreton Bay, as opposed to all of our other dive sites which are all exposed to the ocean. Because of this it is always calmer at Amity because it isn’t exposed to ocean swells, making it a great spot for training dives. It is also a good drift dive location, as when the tide is coming either in or out the current at Amity is quite strong.
There are numerous man-made wrecks at Amity such as car bodies and tractor tyres that have become small reefs home to many tropical fish species, as well as the bottom of the jetty which has an abundance of fish life surrounding it.
Local residents here include wobbegong sharks, small rays, dolphins, stonefish, pelagics and parrotfish, crayfish and crustaceans plus many tropical fish varieties.
Depth | 5 to 15m |
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Current | Medium to Strong |
Visibility | 5 to 15m |
Experience Level | Beginner to Advanced |
Things to See | Wobbegong sharks, small rays, tropical fish, wrecks |
South Gorge
The South Gorge is a shore dive located on the southern side of Point Lookout’s main headland. A beach/surf entry leads divers along the bottom of the cliff, which forms the underwater wall that divers follow out to whale rock, and then return.
On the wall lives numerous hard and soft corals, home to varieties of tropical fish, nudibranchs and crustaceans. Divers can also witness Bull and Eagle rays, turtles, wobbegong and Leopard sharks and Manta Rays (November - April) traversing along the sand bottom.
This dive would be considered for advanced divers only due to the mix of strong currents and swell caused by the site’s exposure to often large waves.
Depth | 5 to 15m |
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Current | Strong + Waves |
Visibility | 5 to 20m |
Experience Level | Advanced |
Things to See | Caves & whale rock blowhole |