Spanish Eyes sits on the south-eastern outer reef of the southern atoll, the side exposed to the prevailing trades, and for that reason it is dived only on calm days – the official Cocos tourism listing specifies winds below 10 knots. The range is 12–40 m, and the site has a story: it is named in connection with an ill-fated yacht that wrecked on the nearby beach after a navigation error, the tale of which forms part of the local diving lore. Underwater, the site offers a shallow reef top with hard and soft corals, then a wall dropping into deep blue water, which the official listing notes is suitable for experienced divers wanting a deep bounce dive.

Grey reef sharks patrol the wall, and barracuda hang in the blue. Because the south-eastern reefs receive the full energy of the trade-wind swell for much of the year, the corals here are shaped differently to those on the sheltered north-western rim – more compact and robust, with the most delicate growth deeper. Few divers ever see this side of the atoll, so the site has a remote, untouched feel, and on the rare flat days it is one of the most rewarding dives Cocos offers.

It suits experienced divers comfortable in open ocean conditions, who can manage depth and potential current. Documentation beyond the official listing is thin: the name of the yacht and date of its wreck are not publicly recorded, and nothing of the yacht is known to lie on the dive site itself.

Fly to West Island on the twice-weekly Virgin Australia service from Perth (usually routed via Christmas Island; allow 7–10 days on the islands to absorb weather and flight delays). Cocos Dive collects divers from West Island accommodation in the morning (pickup around 8 am, departure about 9 am) and runs its boats from West Island into the lagoon. Spanish Eyes lies on the exposed south-eastern outer reef, the far side of the atoll from West Island – the boat crosses the full width of the lagoon and exits to the ocean.

Visited only on calm days when the wind is below about 10 knots. Live-boat drop; no shore access. The nearby beach is where the yacht that gave the site its story was wrecked.

Cocos has two seasons. The south-east trades blow steadily from roughly April/May to October, often 15–25 knots, which chops up the lagoon and pushes swell onto the eastern and southern outer reefs; divers are then kept to sheltered sites. The doldrum season (November to March/April) brings lighter, variable winds, flatter seas and the widest choice of outer-reef sites, and is the best time to dive, though it is also the tropical cyclone season and squalls pass through.

The eastern side of the atoll faces straight into the south-east trades, so its outer reefs and passages are rough and often undiveable from April to October; they come into their own on calm doldrum-season days. The official listing states the site needs calm days with wind under 10 knots; any south-east swell makes the outer wall unsafe for boat pickup.

Live-boat drop onto the shallow reef top at about 12 m, then move to the wall and descend to 20–25 m. Watch the blue for grey reef sharks and barracuda. Experienced divers may make a planned short bounce deeper; the rest of the group stays shallower.

Return to the reef top for the safety stop and a surface marker buoy pickup.

Cocos Dive (Dieter Gerhard, West Island, operating since 1990) is the only scuba operator on the islands and the only way to dive this site. It runs seasonal two-dive day trips with lunch and a surface interval on Direction Island, maximum 10 divers per trip; sites are chosen on the day according to wind, tide and diver experience. Trips book out well ahead and courses are currently suspended, so arrive certified.