Living directly on the Great Barrier Reef is one of the best locations in the world if you are a diver and living on Heron Island, in the Capricorn Bunker Group, is easily one of the premier locations on the Great Barrier Reef. I have been diving Heron Island since April 1992 and have logged over 600 dives here, the majority of which allowed me some of my most memorable dives. Imagine drifting gently along to an isolated coral bommie and encountering a school of Manta Rays being cleaned by hundreds of tiny cleaner wrasse, feeling their silky-smooth underbellies as they ethereally spiral above you. Or casually snorkelling around one of the many huge bommies to find you’ve got a new buddy or two in the bottlenose dolphins that roam the waters of Heron. Or stroking the two resident moray eels Harry and Fang. Or catching sight of the beautiful giant humpback whales on their annual migration. Such is the wonderful experience of Heron Island. All dive sites have something special to offer with a typical dive at Heron Bommie including schools of strawberry hussar, encounters with “Harry or Fang”, manta rays, turtles and schools of barracuda. Most of the marine life is easy to photograph as it is comfortably familiar with divers and snorkellers. An added bonus nearby to Heron Reef is Wistari Reef. A steep sandy slope draped in spectacular fragile branching corals interspersed with vivid soft corals. Wistari has been described as a gentle drift, however, visitors experiencing this site for the first time may encounter a 2-3 knot current, particularly during mid spring tide. Encounters with nudibranchs, elusive urchins, large pelagic fish and schools of hardy head can also be expected. Scuba diving and snorkelling are efficiently organised by the Heron Island Dive Shop. All divers are required to undertake an orientation dive with a dive-master. However after your first dive, the choice is yours to either follow the dive masters or to buddy up with new found friends and dive your own way. There’s no worry about getting lost as navigation is simple, just follow the reef edge. Diving on Heron Island is very convenient. There is no shore diving which means no long swims with scuba equipment. Dive and snorkel boats depart twice daily (AM & PM), with night dives scheduled 3 nights per week. Dive trips are no more than a ten minute journey to and from your destination. This is highly desirable for those prone to sea sickness, and also allows guests to enjoy the facilities of the Resort between dives. All dive vessels are very stable with plenty of room to move. With over twenty dive sites and moorings, there are plenty of possible locations and no anchors to damage precious corals. As Heron Island was designated Marine Park in 1974 and listed as World Heritage in 1981 there is excellent management by GRMPA in the preservation of this magnificent cay. Many divers are surprised to learn of the need for 3 to 5mm wetsuits, especially during winter, even though Heron Reef lies across the Tropic of Capricorn, water temperatures range between 19°C in July to 26°C in January. There is a vast range of activities for non aquatic guests, who can easily enjoy all the wonders of the coral cay and the reef edge whilst staying dry. A fabulous way of viewing the reef is in the semi-submersible. This vessel allows guests to view the reef from seats below the water line with a comprehensive commentary of everything seen through the windows. There are also day trips to nearby Wilson Island, island walks, reef walks, fishing trips, sea safari’s, turtle walks & bird walks (in season), star gazing, informative slide shows, and other entertainment during the evenings. Heron Island Biannually hosts Australia’s premier dive festival, incorporating fancy dress nights, seminars by world famous diving celebrities and some of the best diving around. An event not to be missed! P&O Resorts provide a launch service to Heron Island departing Gladstone daily. Lloyd’s provide a helicopter service, which is the ultimate way to see the reef.

_______________________________________________________________________