Between the Wrecks is, as the name says, the stretch of Bougainville Reef wall that lies between the two freighter wrecks, the Antonio Tarabocchia (1961) and the Atlas (1945).

The wall drops away steeply from the reef edge into deep water, and the dive is run as a drift, covering a long section of wall in one go. Visibility of 20–40 m is typical at Bougainville, and the combination of clear water and a steady current gives the dive a real sense of flight.

The fauna is typical of an oceanic wall. Dive the World lists sharks, rays and abundant schooling species. Grey reef and whitetip sharks patrol the drop-off, and schools of trevally, snapper, fusiliers and unicornfish hang off the wall. Along the face, soft corals, sea fans and whips grow where the current is strongest, with anthias and butterflyfish around them. There may be scattered wreckage from the two ships at either end.

The dive suits intermediate divers comfortable with drift technique, open-water ascents and depth control on a wall. It is a good way to see more of Bougainville in a single dive when time at the reef is short. Because the site is described only briefly in the sources, depths here are indicative, and the crew briefing should be the guide to route and pick-up.

Liveaboard only. Mike Ball's Spoilsport visits Bougainville on its 4-night Osprey fly-dive (Cairns departure Thursday evening, return by flight from Lizard Island), 5-night Coral Sea & Cod Hole and 7-night Coral Sea expeditions; the overnight run from Cairns is roughly 230 km of open ocean. Bougainville is not guaranteed on every itinerary and is usually allocated one day.

Between the Wrecks is run as a drift from a tender, dropping near one wreck site and drifting along the wall toward the other.

Bougainville is a small, isolated Coral Sea reef about 230 km north-east of Cairns and 150 km south of Osprey, with no land to shelter behind, so the surface can be choppy in any SE trade wind over about 20 knots, common June to August. Conditions broadly follow Osprey's, though Bougainville is sometimes calmer when Osprey is windy. Currents are generally mild but can pick up on the corners and walls.

September to December usually gives the calmest seas and best visibility (20–40 m); December to April is cyclone season.

Drop from the tender at the up-current end, descend to 20–25 m on the wall and drift with it, watching the blue for sharks and rays. Ascend along the wall at half gas, deploy an SMB and complete the safety stop for pick-up.

Coral Sea liveaboards visiting Bougainville (Mike Ball Dive Expeditions) – occasional.