Is the Great Barrier reef still worth diving?

[Mike1967]

Finally, I hope it goes. The one I was scheduled to go out on was cancelled owing to lack of people - shouldn't be a problem that time of year.

Thanks mate, that would suck big time. I asked the question of minimum numbers before I booked flights, accommodation etc etc...and was told that that particular trip books out every year. Fingers crossed the weather behaves.

 

[caydiver]

Did not enjoy the platforms in mid-Whitsundays. Stayed at Hayman Island and their boat was out of commission. May have enjoyed it more if we hadn’t had to rely on the totally overcrowded platforms. Second trip was to Lizard Island and loved it. Just snorkeling in the Giant Clam Garden was incredible. Would go back In a heartbeat.

 

[Divectionist]

I should also add that my best GBR dives were out of the Whitsundays - it’s a really long trip out to the reef but I just have flashbacks of sweet coral canyons, walls, and fat bommies with a wonderful sand bottom full of little things to navigate with.

There’s also diving around the islands for a bit of variety, so it’s probably a more worthwhile trip.

I’ll still head up to Port Douglas for another weekend of day boats but that’s just because I am burning some FF miles going to Cairns.

 

[VinnieSL]

I haven't dove there in 10 years so have no first hand opinions at this point, or any idea how the various coral bleaching events affect diving in different areas. If you research it I'd expect to find stuff that's all over the place. (Probably why you're asking...)

I will say that you're talking about a huge area when you say GBR, and your experience is going to depend greatly on exactly where you go. There's a big difference between a week long liveaboard to more remote areas, or maybe a day trip to the Yongala if you get up that way - vs a day trip or couple night liveaboard at what they call the "outer reef", which sounds remote but isn't (relatively speaking) and is heavily dove from Cairns.

There is also diving in New Zealand, never been. Water generally colder though. Poor Knights is famous.

How long are you going for and how far out of your way are you willing to go for diving?

 

[VinnieSL]

Thanks for the input. I was planning only to dive for a day, maybe 2 and not too far out or overnight. Based on other responses, it sounds like I'm better off going to Indonesia another time.

 

[VinnieSL]

I was in the outer GBR around Lizard Island, Cod Hole (Coral Sea), off Cairns, in November 2016. There were lots of bleaching & rubbles. Sad!

If you want to travel half around the world to go diving, you might as well go to the best destination in the world, Indonesia. Go to places like Raja Ampat, Banda Sea or Komodo.

 

[VinnieSL]

Thanks for the feedback. I am actually mainly going to New Zealand for a motorcycle tour and thought I would go to the GBR, since I doubt I'll ever get back to that part of the world again. But based on other feedback, it sounds like Indonesia is more worthwhile.

 

[Damselfish]

Yes. Given your main plan, it is not worth the money and jumping through hoops simply to do what you can get for a day trip on the GBR. If you had much more time to devote to diving on your trip it might be different. But in that case you might also decide to look at other places in the region that are reasonably accessible from there. Indonesia would definitely be one you wanted to look at if you had time. (I looked into tagging the Solomon Islands onto husbands biz trip to Sydney, but could not make the timing work out.)

 

[VinnieSL]

I haven't dove there in 10 years so have no first hand opinions at this point, or any idea how the various coral bleaching events affect diving in different areas. If you research it I'd expect to find stuff that's all over the place. (Probably why you're asking...)

I will say that you're talking about a huge area when you say GBR, and your experience is going to depend greatly on exactly where you go. There's a big difference between a week long liveaboard to more remote areas, or maybe a day trip to the Yongala if you get up that way - vs a day trip or couple night liveaboard at what they call the "outer reef", which sounds remote but isn't (relatively speaking) and is heavily dove from Cairns.

There is also diving in New Zealand, never been. Water generally colder though. Poor Knights is famous.

How long are you going for and how far out of your way are you willing to go for diving?

 

[VinnieSL]

Many thanks for your advice. I actually decided to skip Australia this trip and investigated Poor Knight's from Tutukaka and it sounds perfect !!