TRAVEL Southern Great Barrier Reef: A Group Dive Guide – by Deborah Dickson-Smith, owner, Diveplanit Travel International, New South Wales, Australia
The Southern Great Barrier Reef (SGBR) - Keppel Islands, Heron Is- land, the Bundaberg coast & Lady Musgrave, and Lady Elliot Island - packs big - ticket wildlife and easy logis- tics into a compact area that works bril- liantly for club travel. Use this guide to scope dates, routes, rooming, and dive
departures. December–April (austral summer): Warmest water 75– 81°F / 24–27°C. Calm mornings, lively reefs, turtle nesting Nov–Mar, hatchlings Jan–Apr (beachside). Aligns with Christmas/New Year or spring break windows. Destination Playbook: Keppel Islands Club fit: Short rides, calm fringing reefs – great warm - up days for mixed experience levels. Signature dive sites: Man & Wife – Twin bommies with schooling fusiliers, batfish; turtles cruising sand gutters. Humpy Island moorings – Sheltered coral gardens for training, checkouts, and macro. Outer Rocks – A touch more flow, soft corals on edges; pelagic passes. What you’ll see: Green, hawksbill & loggerhead turtles, blue - spotted rays, octopus/cuttlefish, nudibranchs. Depths 20–60 ft / 6–18 m; gentle currents. Club tip: Pair with a beach BBQ or island picnic day for non - divers. Heron Island Club fit: Roll - out - of - bed diving with classic bommies; strong turtle action. Compact resort simplifies herding cats. Signature dive sites: Heron Bommie – Cleaning stations
plans for groups of 8–30. Why the SGBR for dive clubs Short boat rides to fringing reefs - easy for mixed-ex- ▪ perience groups and snorkelers. Offshore coral cays (Heron, Lady Elliot, Lady Mus- ▪ grave) - clearer water, turtles and rays, classic bommie dives. Year-round diving with distinct seasonal highlights ▪ (mantas, whales, turtle nesting/hatching). Land-based, resort-style operations with predictable ▪ schedules and simple turnarounds – no long liveaboard transfers. When to go: May–November (late spring–fall): Best aver- age visibility; water ~68–73°F / 20–23°C. Peak manta action (esp. Lady Elliot: May–Aug). Humpback whales migrate June–September (surface sightings; whalesong on dives). Great timing for Memorial Day, summer, or Thanksgiving
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