Coral Gardens (Beach Entry)

A picket trail leads from point of entry, at first buoy to the Coral Gardens covering some of the better reef areas.
Descend at first buoy and follow a nylon rope trail leading to the gardens which are a distance of approximately 30 metres. Three excellent dive sites in the region attract many divers each day, places like The Arches, two large holes in a coral wall usually smothered in fish, a giant brain coral is another that can be found at a depth of 12 metres, it’s a massive structure and perhaps the largest to be found around Lady Elliott Island, also Maorie Wrasse bommie, highlights schooling fish, turtles, large leopard and white tip sharks, coupled with colourful growths of corals and sea fans, make these three localities a feature of your diving program.

Schooling batfish

This excellent reef is located opposite the island’s lighthouse, in a westerly direction, entry is from a beach, then over small rough coral patches. Just here a picket trail begins and almost in a straight line runs across wide sandy areas, abruptly finishing within eyesight of lighthouse reef.

Its main attractions are many giant manta rays. Nowhere else on the southern section of the Barrier Reef is there such an abundance of giant mantas as there is here, not only individuals glide past but schools of twos and threes to a dozen or more wing their way over the reef displaying squadron like precision at nose diving, banking, vertical spiralling and skimming along at sand level.

Here and only here do these gentle giants exhibit such a performance for the entertainment of scuba divers, partly tame, partly wild, one can, if lucky, manage to come in contact with these creatures, riding their backs or even just touching, is a mind blowing experience.

• Great! Keppel Island Resort • Lady Elliot Island Resort • Home •