Flinders Reef is located off the northern tip of Moreton Island. The reef covers quite a large area and part of it is always dry, allowing boats shelter from wind and swell. Corals and marine life flourish around the reef. Over 100 species of coral have been recorded and some 200 species of reef and pelagic fish have also been identified at Flinders Reef. Fortunately, these riches are protected as the reef is a sanctuary zone, part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park.
We regularly dive Flinders Reef on Nautilus, a 18m long charter boat run by Nautilus Scuba Centre, which leaves from Scarborough Marina and provides a very comfortable means of diving Flinders Reef.
One of the best things about Flinders Reef is the variety of terrain and dive sites. All around the reef are coral gardens, bommies, gutters, caves and crevasses in depths varying from 3m to 30m. You can dive anywhere around the reef and encounter wonderful marine life. Also, the visibility at Flinders Reef averages 20m, and can often be 30m.
The western side is the most sheltered and the most commonly dived area. Several moorings have been placed here to avoid anchors damaging the delicate corals. This area is renowned for lovely coral gardens in depths from 3m to 15m. The coral are so pretty here you could think you were diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
Exploring the corals you will find a good population of wrasse, angelfish, butterflyfish, damsels, morwong, sweetlips, grubfish, filefish, flutemouths, boxfish, pufferfish, lionfish, hawkfish, gropers, anemonefish, fairy basslets and scorpionfish, to name but a few. Pelagic species are always drifting overhead, including kingfish, bat
fish,
trevally, fusiliers, bonito, mackerel and even barracuda. There are also
wobbegongs, stingrays, eagle rays, shovelnose rays, nudibranchs, cuttlefish,
clams, shrimps, crabs, cowries, feather stars, sea stars, sea cucumbers,
flatworms and the odd leopard shark to be seen. In the shallows are a maze of
gutters and ledges to explore where divers will find more wobbegongs, brown
banded catsharks, moray eels, crayfish, octopus and even Spanish dancer
nudibranchs.Turtles are very common all around the reef, but especially in the shallows on the western side. On many dives here we have seen a dozen or more green turtles, but loggerhead turtles and hawksbill turtles also frequent the area. If you are after turtle photos then Flinders Reef is the place to dive, as the turtles are very use to divers, allowing for some great close up portraits.
After doing countless dives on the western side of Flinders Reef you would think we would have seen it all. But just in the last few months the site has produced a few surprises. On one dive we watched a fabulous juvenile rock mover wrasse as it danced erratically across the reef. On the same dive we also came across a pair of mating octopus. We followed them as they moved from bommie to bommie, until they finally settled down to mate. On other recent dives we have found pineapplefish, a large honeycomb moray eel and two coffin rays swimming around the reef.
However our most spectacular recent find has been a number of giant anglerfish. One a dive in June we stubbled across a large black sponge that had an eye and a lure on its head. It took a few seconds to realise it was an anglerfish, especially since it was close to 30cm long. We spend almost ten minutes studying and photographing this incredible fish.
We returned to the same location in August to see if the anglerfish was still about. Sure enough sitting in exactly the same spot was the anglerfish, but this time it had turned a light shade of grey. To our amazement after moving only ten metres we found another giant anglerfish, this one black in colour and around 20cm long. We hope these wonderful fish stay in the area, as it will be interesting to study their movements and colour phases over the next few years.
Covering such a large area there are still many parts of Flinders Reef that remain unexplored or are not regularly dived. We recently dived the north eastern tip of the reef and explored some wonderful canyons and caves. This part of the reef is rarely dived, as it can be washed by strong currents. Highlights of the dive included a huge green turtle, masses of nudibranchs, a very large gorgonian fan and watching a mantis shrimp darting about the coral.
With so much wonderful marine life and dive sites around Flinders Reef it is hard to image how anyone could complain about diving Flinders Reef.
Based at Scarborough, forty minutes drive north of the city, Nautilus runs regular trips to Flinders Reef and other dive sites around the Moreton Bay Marine Park each weekend. The boat is very stable and fast, crossing Moreton Bay at a cruising speed of 18 knots. Nautilus is very comfortable dive boat, with a large lounge area, a toilet, an outdoor shower, a fly bridge and a huge diving deck with easy access in and out of the water via two ladders.
A two dive trip on Nautilus, including lunch, tanks and weight belt is $130 and hire gear is available onboard. Free transport to and from Nautilus Scuba Centre, 58 High St Toowong, is also included in the price for those that require it.