Scott Reef lies in the Timor Sea more than 300 km north-west of Cape Leveque. South Scott is a 144 km² crescent with a rare double reef crest and a lagoon mostly deeper than 24 m, and holds Sandy Islet (9 ha, with a tower); North Scott is a roughly circular 106 km² atoll with a deep central lagoon connected to the sea by two channels. The reefs rise steeply from 400–500 m depths, creating classic oceanic walls.

Scott Reef is also one of the most studied reefs in Australia. AIMS monitoring recorded up to 80% coral mortality in the 1998 bleaching event, followed by recovery over 10–15 years, and another ~80% loss in 2016, when heat stress was the highest ever recorded there. The reefs overlie the Torosa gas field (Browse project), and Indonesian fishers have traditional access nearby.

For divers it offers remote, rarely visited walls, channels and lagoon bommies with reef sharks and pelagics, and visibility often exceeding 30 m — but only on rare expeditions.

Kimberley diving context: the Kimberley coast between Broome and Wyndham is one of the least-dived coastlines in Australia. Huge tides (up to 10–11 m), turbid inshore water, saltwater crocodiles around the islands and rivers, and large sharks mean that inshore diving is generally discouraged by experienced local boaters, and expedition cruise ships mostly offer snorkelling or Zodiac excursions rather than scuba. The serious diving is offshore, on atolls and island reefs far from river run-off, visited on a handful of liveaboard departures a year from Broome or Darwin. Medical help is many hours away; divers should be conservative and carry DAN or equivalent evacuation cover.

Only by liveaboard or expedition vessel, typically 1–2 days' steaming from Broome (or from Darwin), on rare scheduled trips. The Great Escape Charter Company (Broome) has run Scott Reef trips; check current schedules. Dive from the mothership and tenders around the atoll walls and channels.

Expedition vessels typically depart Broome or Darwin (or Wyndham) on 10–14 night Kimberley voyages, or on dedicated 7–12 night reef expeditions; private vessels need full offshore capability, long-range communications (satphone/EPIRB) and fuel for several hundred nautical miles. Dives are run from tenders launched from the mothership, which anchors in the lee of the reef.

Kimberley offshore trips run in the dry season (roughly April–October; Scott Reef and Rowley trips cluster September–November when winds ease). The wet season (November–April) brings cyclones, and the Kimberley coast has tides up to 10–11 m, creating violent currents, whirlpools and tidal races near the mainland and inshore reefs. Offshore atolls have smaller ranges but strong currents in channels.

Strong easterly trade winds in mid-dry season can make crossings rough.

Walls: descend to 20–30 m and drift along the atoll edge with the current, ascending onto the reef crest. Channels: drift into the lagoon on the flood with DSMB and tender pickup.

Occasional liveaboard expeditions from Broome (e.g. The Great Escape Charter Company) – not every year.