Mermaid Reef is an offshore coffee-rock reef about 15 minutes by boat south of the Gold Coast Seaway entrance, off the central Gold Coast beaches. Gold Coast Dive Adventures describes it as several hundred metres long and broken into several sections with a large central area, in 18-21 m of water. The operator says it is still being mapped, so divers who visit are exploring a reef that is not yet fully known.

Its main selling point is visibility: of all the Gold Coast local reefs, Mermaid often has the clearest water, presumably because it sits further from the Seaway and the Broadwater outflow. Marine life is similar to the other coffee-rock reefs – wobbegongs, moray eels, nudibranchs, octopus, anemonefish, reef fish and baitfish schools, with turtles, rays and dolphins possible – but the operator says the reef has a different feel, with a more open, sprawling layout. The coffee-rock ledges and holes shelter crayfish and eels, and sponges and soft corals colour the rock.

At 18-21 m it is within reach of open water divers who are comfortable at that depth, but bottom time is moderate and nitrox helps. With several sections to explore, it lends itself to repeat visits. Mermaid Reef is a good option when visibility on the reefs closer to the Seaway is poor, and a rewarding dive for anyone interested in sites that are still being documented.

As more of the reef is mapped, more detailed dive plans and site descriptions should become available. Winter water rarely drops below 19°C.

Boat access only. Gold Coast Dive Adventures departs Runaway Bay Marina (Bayview Street, Runaway Bay – parking, cafes, toilets), runs south down the Broadwater and out through the Gold Coast Seaway; the reefs off the Seaway and The Spit are 10-20 minutes from the marina. Private boats launch at the Seaway/Broadwater ramps (e.g.

Doug Jennings Park area, Southport, Runaway Bay) and must cross the Seaway entrance, which can be rough on an outgoing tide against an easterly swell. Mermaid Reef is about 15 minutes south of the Seaway entrance, offshore from the central Gold Coast beaches.

Offshore Gold Coast reefs sit in open water and are limited by swell and wind: easterly or south-easterly swell over about 1.5 m and south-east trade winds over 15-20 knots make the sites rough and stir up the bottom, while summer north-easterly sea breezes build through the afternoon. Visibility is typically 8-20 m, best after several days of southerly or westerly winds and in winter, and poor after heavy rain when the Nerang River and Broadwater outflow spreads along the coast. The Seaway crossing is safest on the incoming tide.

Descend onto the large central section at 18-20 m, explore it in a loop, and if time allows visit one of the smaller outlying sections on a compass bearing before returning to the line.

Gold Coast Dive Adventures (Runaway Bay) – local reef dives; still being mapped by the operator.