Dive Sites
Heron Bommie
Coral Canyons
Harry's Bommie
Pam's Point
Gorgonia Hole
North Bommie
Tenements 1
Libbie's Lair
Coral Cascades
Wistari 1
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While Regal Angelfishes Pygoplites diacanthus may be seen at many dive site, especially along the coral slopes meeting sandy areas, solitary resident specimens may be seen at this particular dive site on a regular basis.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
This site consists of a series of shallow canyons cutting into the edge of the reef that often have large schools of fish and numerous turtles and the occcasional shark. Along the ridges between the canyons, groups of big fin reef squid swim in vertical formation in the water column, rippling with changing colours as they react to oncoming divers.
Each ridge acts as an ambush platform for underwater photographers who can check out what subjects are down in the valleys, without being detected. Once a subject has been spotted, the photographer can move along on the sheltered side to intersect a mobile subject.
Swimming down and out out over the gently sloping sand towards 18 metres, a diver will see there are some large scattered bommies, each with their own individual makeup of species and each worth a visit.
To me this a fascinating dive site BUT there is never enough to check it all out in one dive and by the time one gets back for another dive, it has all changed.
Its always a thrill to find a Spanish Dancer Hexabranchus sanguineus and during summer months these may be seen beneath caves in the deeper water bommies. At this time they may also be seen in the shallows of the Heron Island lagoon.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
This species can be seen out in the open during the day amongst the coral and on the sand. The Hancock Pseudobiceros Pseudobiceros hancockanus also inhabits the underside of dead coral slabs. It grows to 50 mm and is thought to feed on ascidians.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Large round heads of the Stony Coral Leptoria phrygia can be seen dotting the slopes and terraces all along the coral reef slopes on the Heron Island side of the Wistari Channel.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Usually seen around rubble patches amongst thick surrounds of Staghorn Coral, Redbreasted Maori Wrasse Cheilinus fasciatus is generally a solitary bottom forager and only appears to pair up for a short time during breeding.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
A very common species growing to 50 mm, the Indian Sea Star Fromia indica generally inhabits the sides of bommies and areas of hard coral bottom, and is rarely found on sand. This one has 6 arms, instead of the usual five.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Difficult to get close to, the Bluespot Butterflyfish Chaetodon plebius patrolls over a wide area of territory and is not easy to ambush. It grows to 15 cm and is generally seen in shallow water amongst the Staghorn Corals.
Blacktipped Rockcods Epinephelus fasciatus are often seen in pairs around patches of algae covered dead reef crests adjacent to caves. It is very difficult to tell the male from the female in a pair, as they both appear the same in colour and size.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Bennett’s feather star Oxycomanthus bennetti always climbs to the top of any object such as a bommie, or a ridge, where it spreads out its arms to catch plankton. It comes in a range of colour variations and grows up to 300 mm.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Mostly seen as small, low profile colonies the Widespread acropora Acropora divaricata can be found at a number of dive sites and in the Heron Island lagoon(Photo: Neville Coleman)