Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
North Solitary Island – The Aquarium
Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands, New South Wales · near Wooli
| Depth | 8–18 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Boat (day trip) |
| Entry | Giant stride from the Wooli Dive Centre boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 15-25 m |
| Water | summer 24-26 °C, winter 19-21 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm full suit |
| Best season | Year-round when accessible |
| Bottom time | 55 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Cape Byron Marine Park / Solitary Islands Marine Park zoning applies – check current sanctuary/habitat protection zone boundaries before diving or spearfishing |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
North Solitary Island – The Aquarium
An exceptionally fish-dense, easy patch of reef near Anemone Bay, valued for sheer density and variety rather than any single headline species.
Near Wooli · Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands, New South Wales
- Depth
- 8–18 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Boat ride
- ~75 min
- Water
- 24-26 °C
- Visibility
- 15-25 m
North Solitary Island – The Aquarium8–18 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 8–18 m
- Typical depth
- 14 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Open Water (10–18 m)
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Offshore
- 27 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~75 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 15-25 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 24-26 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 19-21 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 55 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3-5 mm full suit
Location
North Solitary Island · NSW North Coast – Wooli
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Wooli.
Primary source: jettydive.com.auMarine park & permits
Cape Byron Marine Park / Solitary Islands Marine Park zoning applies – check current sanctuary/habitat protection zone boundaries before diving or spearfishing
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around North Solitary Island – The Aquarium →
A day-by-day plan for Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands with this site locked in.
This guide is a planning aid. Conditions change daily — confirm with a local dive centre and dive within your training. Data & safety notes.
Dive profile
How this site rates
Scores are computed from the recorded data, not opinions. How?
At a glance
North Solitary Island – The Aquarium is a reef boat dive in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands, NSW, 8–18 m, suited to Open Water divers, about 75 minutes by boat.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day.
Why dive here
- An exceptionally fish-dense, easy patch of reef near Anemone Bay, valued for sheer density and variety rather than any single headline species.
- A photographer's site: bring a macro lens or a wide-angle depending on the season.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 15-25 m.
Conditions to avoid
- Outgoing tide or run-off after rain (poor visibility)
About North Solitary Island – The Aquarium
The Aquarium, as regular visitors to North Solitary Island have taken to calling this patch of sheltered reef near Anemone Bay, does not have any single headline feature the way Elbow Cave has its anemone beds or the Boulders has its giant groper and canyon-scale topography — its appeal is simply the extraordinary overall density and diversity of resident reef fish packed into a shallow, easy 8 to 18 m of water. As at the rest of the southern section of North Solitary Island, the site sits in the lee of the island, giving it good shelter and consistently excellent visibility given the distance from any mainland river outflow. Schooling bullseyes, sweep and various wrasse and damselfish species crowd the reef in numbers that repeat visitors describe as genuinely aquarium-like, moving in dense, swirling masses around the coral and rock structure rather than the more scattered distribution typical of many reef sites.
Turtles, wobbegong sharks and moray eels round out the site's resident cast, and the shallow average depth allows for long, unhurried dives well beyond the 30-40 minutes typical of the deeper Pimpernel Rock or Boulders sites elsewhere on this trip. Because this is very much a supplementary rather than headline site, it is typically worked into a broader day of North Solitary Island diving alongside Anemone Bay and Fish Soup, filling the role of an easy, colourful, low-stress dive to round out a demanding day. For photographers and less experienced divers on a North Solitary Island trip, it offers one of the most reliably enjoyable, unhurried experiences of the whole excursion, without needing any particular skill or experience beyond basic Open Water competence.
Getting there & entry
A sheltered, fish-dense patch of reef on North Solitary Island near Anemone Bay, valued for the sheer density and variety of resident reef fish rather than any single headline species.
Wooli Dive Centre departs from the Wooli River wharf; trips to North Solitary Island run about 75 minutes each way, weather dependent, with a minimum group size typically required.
Entry: Giant stride from the Wooli Dive Centre boat
Weather, swell & tides
North Solitary Island sits fully in the open ocean and trips depend on a genuinely settled weather window; the Wooli River bar can be dangerous in a big swell or strong outgoing tide. Visibility is normally excellent (15-30 m).
Best season: Year-round when accessible
How the dive is usually run
Descend onto the reef at 8-10 m, spend the dive moving slowly through the dense schools and resident fish population rather than covering ground quickly, and finish with an extended, unhurried ascent given the shallow average depth.
Marine life
- Dense schools of bullseyes and sweep
- wrasse and damselfish species
- turtles →
- wobbegongs →
- moray eels
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Within the 18 m limit of an entry-level certification.
Depth tiers: 0–10 m easy · to 18 m Open Water · 18–30 m Advanced (25 m+ is a deep dive) · 30–40 m Deep specialty · 40 m+ technical. All courses
Hazards & warnings
Long boat commitment; standard North Solitary Island exposure and weather-window considerations; otherwise low risk given the shallow, sheltered setting.
Dive centres that go here
Wooli Dive Centre includes this site on North Solitary Island trips alongside Anemone Bay and Fish Soup, conditions permitting.
Operators recorded for North Solitary Island – The Aquarium
Other dive centres in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
General area
No position has been published for North Solitary Island – The Aquarium. The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Wooli. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 25 km), from other documented sites near Wooli. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
North Solitary Island – The Aquarium: frequently asked questions
How deep is North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
North Solitary Island – The Aquarium reaches a maximum depth of 18 m, with the shallowest part at about 8 m; most of the dive is spent around 14 m.
What certification do I need to dive North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day.
Can I shore dive North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
No, it is reached by boat (about 75 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
Year-round when accessible.
What marine life will I see at North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
Regularly recorded: Dense schools of bullseyes and sweep, wrasse and damselfish species, turtles, wobbegongs, moray eels.
What wetsuit do I need at North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
3-5 mm full suit.
How cold is the water at North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
Typically 24-26 °C in summer and 19-21 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
Long boat commitment; standard North Solitary Island exposure and weather-window considerations; otherwise low risk given the shallow, sheltered setting. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to North Solitary Island – The Aquarium?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
The Solitary Islands Marine Park is where the tropics meet the temperate zone: hard corals grow alongside kelp, anemonefish share ledges with blue gropers, and grey nurse sharks, turtles, mantas and leopard sharks all pass through. North Solitary's Anemone Bay has the densest carpet of anemones and clownfish in the country; South Solitary has the lighthouse, Manta Arch and Buchanan's Wall. Split Solitary and North West Solitary are closer in and quieter.
Getting there: Coffs Harbour is a six-hour drive or a one-hour flight from Sydney. Charters leave from Coffs Harbour marina; North Solitary trips run from Wooli or Coffs and take 40–60 minutes each way.
All Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Informal local name; confirm exact position and current operator usage with Wooli Dive Centre.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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