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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Cod Hole location page.
Overview
A single soft coral spire rising from a sandy 30 m bottom to within 5 m of the surface, no more than 15 m wide at the base. The whole column is wrapped in soft corals and gorgonian fans, with a permanent pink cloud of anthias hovering against the blue. Lionfish patrol caves and overhangs, leaf scorpionfish wedge into coral nubs, magnificent nudibranchs crawl the rubble at the base, and schools of bigeye trevally sweep past the pinnacle. Whitetip reef sharks cruise the sand. Currents are usually mild but can rip on tide changes; the bommie is small enough to circle in one dive. Pixie sits on Ribbon Reef 10 a short distance from Cod Hole and is reached only by liveaboard from Cairns or Port Douglas.
Briefing note
Marine park fee applies inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The pinnacle is exposed and tides can drive moderate flow; a reef hook is rarely needed but a surface marker buoy is standard. Dwarf minke whales frequent the wider Ribbon Reefs area in June and July and are sometimes encountered between dives. Combine with the Cod Hole feed dive on the same itinerary.
What you'll see
7 species curated- year-roundFairy basslet
- year-roundOrange-fin anemonefish
- year-roundLionfish
- year-roundLeaf scorpionfish
- year-roundBigeye trevally
- year-roundWhitetip reef shark
- year-roundMagnificent nudibranch
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28–29 °C | 15–20 m | mild |
| Feb | 28–29 °C | 15–20 m | mild |
| Mar | 27–28 °C | 20–25 m | mild |
| Apr | 26–28 °C | 20–25 m | mild |
| May | 25–27 °C | 25–30 m | mild |
| Jun | 23–25 °C | 25–35 m | mild |
| Jul | 23–25 °C | 25–35 m | mild |
| Aug | 23–24 °C | 30–40 m | mild |
| Sep | 24–26 °C | 30–40 m | mild |
| Oct | 25–27 °C | 30–40 m | mild |
| Nov | 26–27 °C | 30–40 m | mild |
| Dec | 27–28 °C | 20–25 m | mild |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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Hotels, liveaboards, dive operators, gear recommendations, and travel logistics for the whole region.
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