Dive with marine life · 2026 guide
The largest reef-dwelling bony fish in the world, and a defining feature of the SS Yongala.
Resident year-round at the Yongala and on suitable structure.
These 3 sites are where queensland groper encounters are best documented, with the operators who dive them.
1Cairns, Queensland
The reef systems reached daily from Cairns — the most-dived section of the Great Barrier Reef.
Coral cover, fish density and crowding vary considerably between them. The reefs closest to port see the most traffic; the outer reefs generally offer better coral and clearer water in exchange for a longer steam.
Look for: Green Turtle, Queensland Groper
Full Great Barrier Reef (Cairns Outer Reefs) guide →
2Townsville, Ayr & the SS Yongala, Queensland
A 100-metre passenger steamer lost in 1911, now carrying possibly the densest marine life in Australia.
The wreck is around 100 metres long and lies at depths reaching roughly 30 metres. Queensland tourism material treats the site as an advanced diving attraction.
Look for: Queensland Groper, Spotted Eagle Ray
Full SS Yongala guide →
3Ningaloo & Exmouth, Western Australia
A structure dive with extraordinary fish density, on Defence land with controlled access.
The structure supports an extraordinary density of fish — grey nurse sharks, wobbegongs, giant groupers and vast schools crowded into a comparatively small area.
Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Nudibranchs, Queensland Groper, Wobbegong
Full Exmouth Navy Pier guide →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.
No. Listings and order come from our research only. Businesses can ask us to correct their details, but not to change their position.
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.
