Dive Sites

Dive Sites off Byron Bay - Overview

Julian rocks is situated within the Cape Byron Marine park in northern NSW, on the east coast of Australia. It is home to over 1000 marine species including wobbegongs, rays, turtles, fish, nudibranchs and many more. It is an aggregation site for the endangered Grey Nurse Sharks, Carcharias taurus, who visit in winter. Leopard sharks visit Julian Rocks over summer. This is where warm and cool waters meet, hence the enormous biodiversity. A minority of species are endemic to this area. Most are found over a wide area of the Asia-Pacific region.

The best diving in Byron Bay is at the Julian Rocks themselves, with a good variety of dive sites available. Spot X and the Mackeral Boulder are locations that we occasionally visit in ideal conditions only. The Cape Pinnacle is a deep site 40m + and suitable for whole boat charters for Deep Certified divers only. The Tassie Wreck and Middle Reef are good snorkelling sites but a little shallow for scuba.

Read on below for detailed description of the Julian Rocks and the dive sites we visit.

Julian Rocks

This is an exploded view of the Julian Rocks and the dive sites that we visit. Most dives start in the Nursery area as this is where our moorings are situated. A typical first dive is to the deeper Northern end where you will find the Cod hole (18m). Then you might head around the corner to the Cray Cave and the Gorgonian Hollow (22m).  A typical second and shallower dive would be from the Nursery back towards the Needles (16m).  The shallower depths here give you more bottom time for your second dive.  Hugo’s Trench is also dived frequently, especially when we have Northerly wind and swell. Hugo’s is on the southern side of the Julian Rocks and therefore protected from Northerly conditions. Read on below for detailed descriptions of each location.

Cod Hole

The Cod Hole is a spectacular swim-through at the end of the island. It is quite big, so a small group of divers fits in it comfortably. The entry is at around 15 meters and it takes you down to approximately 18 meters depth. In and around the Cod Hole there are usually large schools of huge fish such as Jewfish and Kingfish, very common are schools of Sweetlips and Trevally as well. Inside the Cod Hole, you can generally find lots of big fish again including some big cods, a few Wobbegong Sharks and lots of smaller marine life such as Mooray Eels, Cuttlefish, Crayfish, Cleaner Shrimps, Slipper Crabs and Lionfish. Going past the Cod Hole, the sandy bottom starts at 20 meters and gradually gets deeper. This area is one of the best spots at Julian Rocks for large Pelagics. You never know what you might see out there. The sand trenches behind the Cod Hole are also very popular with Grey Nurse Sharks during the colder months from June to November. During summer there is a good chance of seeing a Manta Ray near the Cod Hole. All year round, the area around the Cod Hole tends to attract many big rays such as Eagle Rays and Bullrays. It is also a good spot to see giant Queensland Gropers.

Cray Cave and Gorgonian Hollow

These dive sites are both located on the deeper Eastern side of Julian Rocks where the sandy bottom drops to about 24 meters. The Cray Cave is another swim-through at about 18 meters depth, but much narrower than the Cod Hole, only high and wide enough for one diver at a time. The Gorgonian Hollow is a huge horseshoe shaped rock formation in about 22 meters depth. This is a secret spot for Ghost Pipefish which can often be found on the Black Coral inside the Gorgonian Hollow.

Nursery

The Nursery is where we start most of our dives. It is a shallow area (6 to 12 metres deep) with four moorings for the dive boats and it is generally protected from swell and current, so the diving is relaxing and easy. The Nursery is a large area full of small marine life such as an abundance of colourful tropical fish, octopi, cuttlefish and Lionfish, but also turtles and Wobbegong Sharks. In summer, the Nursery is great for swimming with Leopard Sharks. Apart from Marine life, interesting features in the Nursery include a huge overgrown anchor complete with chain and Split Bommie, a giant cracked rock which attracts a lot of fish life.

Needles

The Needles is a large area south of the island full of interesting rock formations. Depth ranges from 9 to 15 meters. The large sandy arena in the middle of the Needles is where you generally find most Leopard Sharks during the warmer months from December to April. All year round this spot is extremely popular with turtles of all sizes (GreenTurtles, Hawkesbill Turtles and huge Loggerhead Turtles) as well as Bullrays, Eagle Rays and Shovelnose Rays. Every now and then, Manta Rays come in and spend some time on top of the bigger bommies in the Needles.

Mohole and Line of Smiles

The Mohole is a small cave at the southern end of the Needles in about 14 meters depth. Typically, you’d see a huge Loggerhead Turtle sleeping in there. The Mohole is always worth checking out, you could see big cods getting cleaned, massive Bullrays followed by a school of cobia, huge schools of big Kingfish in a feeding frenzy, never a dull moment. The Line of Smiles is just a short swim from the Mohole, it is a huge crack in a rock wall which is filled to the top with all sorts of interesting Marine Life. Swimming past it, at first glimpse all you can see is a line of Wobbegong Sharks squeezed in there on top of each other looking out which is where the name “Line of Smiles” comes from. At closer inspection (but watch out for those wobbies!), you can see crayfish, Blind Sharks, hundreds of Cleaner Shrimps and little crabs and the occasional Nudibranch or cuttlefish.

Hugo’s Trench

This dive site actually consists of two parallel trenches: Hugo’s Trench and False Trench. They are sheltered from the strong Northerlies we often get between September and Christmas. The trenches are full of interesting rock formations and narrow gaps in huge rock walls for divers to swim through. The depth in the trenches ranges from 8 to 17 meters. When there are big currents at Julian Rocks, both, divers and fish come here to have a rest. The trenches are full of life, big and small. This is the spot for Nudibranchs, they can be seen on the walls in all colours and sizes, but also for big marine life such as turtles, Kingfish, Bullrays, Eagle Rays and the occasional Manta. In winter it is not uncommon to find the trenches are full of Grey Nurse Sharks.