Dive sites by region · 2026 guide

The Best Dive Sites in Lord Howe Island

More than 50 dive sites around the world's southernmost coral reef, plus Ball's Pyramid.

These are the 3 Lord Howe Island sites in our database, best-documented first, with the operators who run trips to each.

Green sea turtle swimming above a sunlit coral reef

Ball's Pyramid

Lord Howe Island, Lord Howe Island

Advanced · 18–25 m~25 m typical, 40 m maxBoat divewall · island · reef

The world's tallest sea stack, 26 km offshore, surrounded by pelagic fish in open ocean.

It rises 562 metres out of open ocean with nothing else around it, and the underwater experience matches that drama — sheer volcanic walls dropping into blue water, with large fish schools concentrating on the only structure for kilometres.

Look for: kingfish, amberjack, trevally, rainbow runners, large fish schools

Who takes you there Dive Lord Howe

Full Ball's Pyramid guide →

Scuba divers beside a dramatic volcanic wall at Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island Reefs

Lord Howe Island, Lord Howe Island

Open Water · ≤18 m~18 m typical, 30 m maxBoat dive · Shore divereef · island

The world's southernmost coral reef, with tropical and temperate species on the same dive.

The island's isolation produces a genuine crossover environment where tropical, subtropical and temperate species occur together, often on the same dive.

Look for: endemic and crossover species, Galapagos whaler sharks, kingfish, turtles, hard coral at high latitude

Who takes you there Dive Lord Howe

Full Lord Howe Island Reefs guide →

Admiralty Islands

Lord Howe Island, Lord Howe Island

Advanced · 18–25 m~25 m typical, 40 m maxBoat divewall · island · reef

Volcanic pinnacles, walls and trenches off Lord Howe's northern end.

Terrain includes pinnacles, trenches, caves, walls and volcanic drop-offs, with sites such as the Tenth of June and Malabar among the best known.

Look for: Galapagos whaler sharks, kingfish and trevally schools, turtles, black coral, Spanish dancers

Who takes you there Dive Lord Howe

Full Admiralty Islands guide →

Questions about this list

How is this list ranked?

Sites are chosen from our dive-site database and ordered by how well documented they are: flagship status, the number of operators we have confirmed dive there, and the marine life recorded. Nobody pays to be listed.

Can a business pay to appear here?

No. Listings and order come from our research only. Businesses can ask us to correct their details, but not to change their position.

How current is this guide?

It is generated from the directory's latest research, checked in 2026. Conditions, operators and seasons change — confirm details with the operator before you book.

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Ball's Pyramid

Lord Howe Island Reefs

Admiralty Islands

Questions about this list

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