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
The top of the wall is capped with very healthy branching corals and teems with all sorts of fish life. Lots of nudibranchs, moray eels and for the keen observer there are stone fish and scorpion fish in abundance.
The mooring for this site is in 18meters of water on the Wistari Wall. The very steep wall flattens off at 25 meters and there are heaps of chunks of dead coral and rubble and coral outcrops to find rare nudibranchs and you never know what might swim past you out in the blue.
Usually seen in shallow water at the top of the reefs and dropoffs, the Beautiful Acropora Acropora pulchra can be purple in colour and in this form makes for a breathtaking underwater experience.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
The type locality for Coleman's Urchin Shrimp Periclimenes colemani is along the Wistari Wall and slope, below 20 metres on its host the Elusive Sea Urchin Asthenosoma intermedium.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Fast swimming daytime predators, the Bluefin Trevally Caranx melampygus grows to 100 cm and may often be seen in small packs patrolling the walls on the lookout for unwary fish. (Photo: Neville Coleman)
Very common at some places along the Wistari Wall, the Robust Feather Star Himerometra robustipinna can be seen with its arms extended in a feeding position, both day and night. (Photo: Neville Coleman)
Found along rubble flats, or in rich coral areas, the Racoon Butterflyfish Chaetodon lunula grows to 21 cm and is often seen in pairs.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Blue Hydrocoral Distichopora sp. lives along reef walls beneath ledges, or in cracks and fissues in bommies and coral heads.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
This yellow phaze Trumpetfish Aulostomus chinensis is shadowing a Studer's Rabbitfish Siganus studeri which is an algae feeder. By hiding behind a non predatory species, the Trumpetfish hopes it can get close enough for a strike at a small damselfish amongst the coral.
Orange-banded Coralfish Coradion chrysozonus are generally in water below 20 metres where it browses on sponges and other sessile invertebrates.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Growing to 100 mm, the Egret Ardeadoris Ardeadoris egretta feeds on sponges and is one of the larger nudibranchs found at Heron Island and Wistari Reef.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Found along the bottom of the Wistari Channel growing from dead coral outcrops, the Spiky Soft Coral Dendronephthya sp. may grow to .5 of a metre and has some really interesting commensals living on it.
(Photo: Neville Coleman)
Not always easy to get close to, the male Onebanded Wrasse Labrichthys unilineatus visits the same cleanerfish station in his territory. Once that location is known, its just a matter of patience.
(Photo: Nevlle Coleman)