Diving Guide > Australia > Great Barrier Reef (Central Section) - Townsville, Queensland , Australia Scuba Diving Guide

Great Barrier Reef is divided into four sections by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Act. These four sections are Far Northern Section, Cairns Section, Central Section and Mackay/Capricorn Section. Our coverage of Great Barrier Reef is also divided into four pages for each of these sections. A detail description of Great Barrier Reef is covered in the Great Barrier Reef scuba diving guide. Here our focus is on the dive sites and reefs in Central Section of Great Barrier Reef.

The Central Section of Great Barrier Reef is probably the most popular zone with visiting divers. Like the Cairns Section, the zone has a number of top dive sites. A handful of operators visiting these reefs operates out of Townsville, the largest city in Northern Queensland that caters well for visiting tourists. There are tourists' attractions such as the Casino and Great Barrier Reef Wonderland aquarium complex here.

Dive Sites around Great Barrier Reef (Central Section)

Kelso Reef A pontoon is moored at this reef to provide visitors an easy assess to dive here. Under the pontoon ia a coral garden with a huge population of snapper, groupers, emperor fish, Maori wrasse and sweetlip. There are also a number of drop-offs divers can explore here. SS Yongala Wreck This is Queensland's best wreck dive. Although the water visibility rarely exceed 12m, many considered this site to be of world class standard. SS Yongala was a passenger and general cargo steamer that was sunken in its current location by a cyclone in 1911. While the steamer does not have a luscious history or a great structure, the reason why many divers like it here is because of the concentration of marine lifes found around this wreck. Lying on a 30m bottom, this wreck acts like a fish and coral magnet. The deck of Yongala is filled with anemone and clownfish. Huge Queensland Groupers, sea snakes and Blotched Fantail Rays keep divers company throughout the dive. Oysters can be found in the interior of the wreck and sponge coral on the hull.

Hook Island - Whitsunday Islands Group The Whitsunday Islands are a group of islands on east of Airlie Beach. Located near the southern end of Central Section Great Barrier Reefs, there are a number of world class resorts here that offers several diving possibilities around these islands. The marine life in these water are rich, however, visibility can be poor on certain occasion. Hook Island probably offers the best diving possibilities in the Whitsunday group. The island has a few dive sites worthy of a mention here, The Pinnacles (which are a few coral head, attracts many pelagic fish), The Woodpile (a wall dive few with plenty of beautiful corals and macro fish) and Manta Ray Bay (a coral garden with a good mix of hard and soft corals, this site attracts Manta Rays during the winter month). Bait Reef Located 20km Northeast of the Whitsunday Islands group, this reef has a spectacular wall dive at its southern end. The wall here is commonly known as the Manta Ray Drop-off. Every winter, Manta Rays can be seen cruising along the wall which drop off to 36 m. Reef shark and pelagic fish are common along the wall which is cover with gorgonians, sponges, coral trees and sea whips. There are also a few large pinnacles here with many caves and ledges, here, you will find lionfish, stingrays, moray eels, groupers, sweetlips and coral trout.

Best Time to Dive in Great Barrier Reef (Central Section)

Best Time to Dive in Great Barrier Reef (Central Section)

Where to Stay in Townsville and Airlie Beach

• Our favourite 4 stars accommodation in Townsville - City Oasis Inn Townsville
• Our favourite 4 stars accommodation in Airlie Beach - Airlie Beach Organic Bed and Breakfast
• Our favourite 3 stars accommodation in Townsville - Central City Motel Townsville
• Our favourite 3 stars accommodation in Airlie Beach - Whitsunday Terraces Airlie Beach

• Our favourite 5 stars accommodation in Townsville - Jupiters Townsville Hotel Casino
• Our favourite 4 stars accommodation in Townsville - Townsville Plaza
• Our favourite 3 stars or budget accommodation in Townsville - Holiday Inn Townsville
• Our favourite 3 stars or budget accommodation in Airlie - Comfort Inn Club Crocodile Airlie Beach

How to get to Townsville

• Qantas
• Virgin Blue

• Qantas
• Singapore Airline

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