Maori Wrasse Bommie is a large bommie standing off the reef wall, a little wider and further north than Coral Gardens and south of Spiders Ledge. Its many nooks and crannies make it a favourite resting place for turtles, which the Oceanity guide says are common here. The resort lists trumpetfish, Malabar grouper, Moorish idols and whitetip reef sharks, and marine life writers add barramundi cod, moray eels, clown triggerfish, small sharks and nudibranchs.

Maori wrasse, the site's namesake, may also be seen cruising around the bommie. Because it is a single structure, the dive is easy to navigate: circle the bommie at a couple of depths, looking into the holes and under the ledges. Its moderate depth makes it suitable for all certified divers, and it is sheltered in the prevailing south-easterly winds.

Photographers will find turtles and grouper good subjects, and the bommie's shape allows interesting silhouettes against the surface. It pairs well with Coral Gardens or Spiders Ledge for a varied morning. Divers should give resting turtles plenty of room; they rely on these nooks to rest between feeding and breathing trips to the surface, and disturbing them forces them to use energy they need.

Like the other western bommies, it is also a place where passing mantas sometimes stop, so it is worth glancing up into the blue periodically during the dive. The bommie's isolation from the main reef also means fish congregate densely around it, which gives photographers plenty of subjects at close range without needing to cover much distance.

Lady Elliot Island is the southernmost coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, about 80 km north-east of Bundaberg, and is reached only by the resort's light aircraft from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Brisbane (Redcliffe) or the Gold Coast (baggage limit about 15-16 kg, extra dive-gear weight bookable). From the airstrip, walk to the resort dive shop; boats are launched from the western beach or the lighthouse side and all dive sites are 10 minutes or less by boat. Maori Wrasse Bommie lies north of Coral Gardens and south of Spiders Ledge, a few minutes by boat.

The island has a western (lee) side and an eastern (windward) side. Under the prevailing south-east trades the western sites (Lighthouse Bommies, Coral Gardens, the Severance) are sheltered and dived most days; the eastern wall sites (Blowhole, Tubes, Hiro's Cave) need light winds or a westerly/northerly. Swell over about 2 m from the south-east closes the eastern side, and strong northerlies (spring/summer) make the west choppy.

Tidal range is about 2-3 m; currents are strongest at the southern tip. Summer brings warmer water but more plankton and occasional cyclones (November-April). Western sites are the default in the prevailing south-easterlies; they become choppy in strong northerlies or westerlies.

Descend to the base of the bommie and circle it slowly, checking the nooks for resting turtles and the overhangs for grouper and morays, then spiral upward for a second lap before the safety stop.

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort's PADI dive shop is the only operator: guided boat dives twice daily (early morning and afternoon, bookings open the day before), plus courses; boat rides are 10 minutes or less and all sites are moored. Day-trip packages from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast include diving. The resort does not offer shore dives.