Scuba Diving Lizard Island, Queensland

Lizard Island is the best spot for tourists and professional divers to explore the famed coral wonderland of north Cooktown's Great Barrier Reef. For about 30 years now, the island's waters have been drawing thousands of marine biologists and divers, making it home to one of the most significant reef research stations in the world. A magnificent tropical island with 24 exquisite beaches and over 1000 hectares of National Park, Lizard Island prides itself for being a renowned, world class diving and marine life destination.

Diving around Lizard Island is like coming face to face with the marine park's underwater treasures. This excellent diving destination hosts a spectacular site of interlocked reefs and coral-ringed isles. As for famous diving activities, the island, which is a 50 minute boat ride to the famous outer Great Barrier Reef, offers customized dive boat services that operate for full day excursions around magnificent outer and inner reef dive sites.

Aside from the whole-day dive treats, there are some inland diving services that offer half-day reef trips to thousands of tourists and recreational divers. Scuba diving lessons are also readily available for beginner or non-pro divers. Such diving lessons are conducted in classrooms, beach sessions, and supervised beach dive activities with professional diving instructors. Snorkelers, on the other hand, are not to be left out as they can also explore Lizard Island's breathtaking coral gardens, bright-colored tropical fish, and giant clams through the area's top snorkeling services.

Meanwhile, one of the all-time favorite diving spots in Lizard Island is the famous Cod Hole. This diving site is well-known for its underwater inhabitants, including the friendly Potato Cods, the Maori Wrasse, the Emperor, the Red Bass, and many other species. These water creatures are very warm to visitors as they always happily pose in front of the divers' cameras. Divers can also go way below the site's sandy floor area to watch the fish feeding activities on the surface water. Other famous marine life found in Cod Hole are the Whitetip, giant clams, anemones, feather stars, average coral covers, reef sharks, and Solomon's Sweetlip.

Apart from the famous Cod Hole, Lizard Island still has other notable diving sites that best fit divers' preferred diving styles and capabilities. Other than diving and snorkeling, the island also offers fun water activities, energetic boat trips, and exciting camping or hiking treks to its thousands of tourists and visitors that come all-year long. All these awesome destinations packed with equally awesome driving activities make Lizard Island truly a top diving destination.

Dive Sites

Dive Site: COD HOLE , Famous for its inhabitants, Giant Potato Cod, a large grey spotted fish
Depth: 10-15 metres
Suited For: Beginners
Terrain: Sponge gardens
Marine life: Potato Cod, moray eels, sting rays, whitetip reef shark.
Rating: ****
Getting there: Reached by boat and is about 50 minutes from the Island. Located 240 kilometres north of Cairns and 27 kilometres off the coast of North Queensland.