Mid Reef is a site on North Flinders Reef described by Cruising the Edge, the blog of a cruising yacht that spent time at the Flinders Reefs after sailing 140 nautical miles from Townsville via Myrmidon Reef. The crew describe bommies rising 45 m from the lagoon floor, a strong current rushing westward through the site, and a multicoloured gully of feather stars, fans, whips and sea squirts, with soft corals.

The structure is dramatic. Bommies of that height form underwater towers with steep sides, and the gully between them concentrates the current and the filter feeders that depend on it. Feather stars cling to every high point with arms spread, gorgonian fans and sea whips reach into the flow, and soft corals in many colours fill the gaps. The current makes it a demanding dive but also the reason for the colour.

The Cruising the Edge crew report tiger sharks, tawny nurse sharks, yellowfin and dogtooth tuna, sea turtles, nudibranchs and abundant reef fish in the area. On the bommies look for anthias, hawkfish and the invertebrates of the gully.

This site is documented by one private cruising account, and it is not clear whether commercial operators dive it or know it by another name; it may overlap with the soft-coral pinnacles marinelife.org.au calls Soft Spot. Mid Reef suits advanced divers comfortable in strong current. Divers visiting on a private vessel should remember they are hundreds of kilometres from help, dive conservatively, keep a boat cover ready to follow them, and carry surface signalling devices.

Liveaboard only, from Townsville. Mike Ball's Spoilsport visits Flinders on its 7-night Yongala & Coral Sea expedition (depart Breakwater Marina, Townsville, Thursday evening, finish in Cairns) and the 10-night Coral Sea Odyssey; the overnight crossing is about 140 nautical miles (260 km), passing Myrmidon Reef on the outer Great Barrier Reef. Private expedition yachts anchor behind the main sand cay in about 30 m over sand.

Mid Reef was dived by the Cruising the Edge crew from their yacht; it lies within the reef system and is reached by tender from the anchorage.

The Flinders Reefs lie about 250 km off the Queensland coast, roughly 140 nautical miles north-east of Townsville, beyond the outer Great Barrier Reef. The crossing is made overnight through open ocean and is uncomfortable in SE trades over about 20 knots (common June–August). The main sand cay gives some shelter from the trades, and the lagoon pinnacles are more protected than the outer walls.

Currents can be strong through the reef gaps and over the mid-reef bommies. September–December usually gives the calmest seas and 40 m-plus visibility; December–April is cyclone season.

Enter up-current of the bommies, descend quickly to the gully and use the bommies for shelter while moving with the westward current. Ascend over the bommie tops or under an SMB for pick-up.

Private expedition yachts; no regular commercial operator documented at this specific site.