Bougainville Reef Dive Site

Bougainville Reef Dive Site Cairns is a small reef located in the Northern Coral Sea.

The reef has a diameter of four kilometres and does not provide shelter in rough weather. It is typically dived as a stop-off between other reefs in the area.

At Bougainville Reef, wall diving is the main attraction, with walls plunging into one kilometre of depth. The walls are adorned with stunning corals, including giant soft corals, red whip corals, gorgonian fans, and black coral trees. Pelagic fish such as barracuda, trevally, tuna, and mackerel can be spotted swimming along these walls, often followed by grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, and silvertip sharks. The reef also offers caves, gutters, and ledges to explore with a torch, as well as the remains of the MV Antonia Tarabocchia shipwreck scattered across depths ranging from 6 to 18 metres.

The diving season at Bougainville Reef runs from April to December, with water temperatures ranging from 22°C to 28°C.

To reach Bougainville Reef Dive Site Cairns, visitors can take a three-hour boat ride from Cairns. The boat usually departs in the early morning from Cairns Marlin Marina newline.