Elphinstone — North Tip

The north tip of Elphinstone is the most celebrated shark aggregation point on the reef. In summer (June through September) scalloped hammerheads gather in the blue water off the point, sometimes in schools of 30 or more, circling at 20 to 30 m depth in the current. The tip itself is a submerged pinnacle at 18 m that falls away steeply on three sides. Grey reef sharks are resident year-round and oceanic whitetips appear in autumn as they arrive from open ocean. The north face of this point drops to 60 m with gorgonians and sponge communities on the steeper sections. Current can be powerful and unpredictable; drift entries from the boat allow divers to time their descent to the point.