Sunset Drift runs along the south-western tip of Lady Elliot Island. Marine life writers describe it as a drift dive that, timed correctly, has a slow current allowing effortless swimming, and the Oceanity guide notes amazing coral and calls it a great place to find manta rays feeding when in season. The drift covers a stretch of reef with hard coral formations, and the current brings plankton and the animals that feed on it.

Mantas, barracuda and triggerfish are listed, and turtles, reef sharks and schooling fish are commonly seen. The key to the dive is timing: at the right stage of the tide, the flow is gentle and divers glide along the reef; at the wrong time it can be too strong. The dive team chooses the window, and divers should follow the guide closely and ascend together.

Sunset Drift suits Open Water divers with some drift experience. The south-western position gives shelter from some wind directions, but southerly swell can make it uncomfortable. It was grouped with Encounters in the earlier database pass; the two are neighbouring southern sites with similar character, now listed separately.

As the name hints, the site has also been used for late-afternoon dives when the light is low and warm, which suits photographers. The coral on the south-western tip is healthy and dense, and on drifts where mantas are absent the reef itself carries the dive, with plenty of reef fish and turtles along the way. Divers new to drift diving will find it a gentle introduction when the dive team gets the timing right.

Lady Elliot Island is the southernmost coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, about 80 km north-east of Bundaberg, and is reached only by the resort's light aircraft from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Brisbane (Redcliffe) or the Gold Coast (baggage limit about 15-16 kg, extra dive-gear weight bookable). From the airstrip, walk to the resort dive shop; boats are launched from the western beach or the lighthouse side and all dive sites are 10 minutes or less by boat. Sunset Drift runs along the south-western tip of the island, a short boat ride from the resort.

The island has a western (lee) side and an eastern (windward) side. Under the prevailing south-east trades the western sites (Lighthouse Bommies, Coral Gardens, the Severance) are sheltered and dived most days; the eastern wall sites (Blowhole, Tubes, Hiro's Cave) need light winds or a westerly/northerly. Swell over about 2 m from the south-east closes the eastern side, and strong northerlies (spring/summer) make the west choppy.

Tidal range is about 2-3 m; currents are strongest at the southern tip. Summer brings warmer water but more plankton and occasional cyclones (November-April). The southern tip catches the strongest tidal currents around the island and is exposed to southerly swell; it is dived as a drift when the tide is right and swell is low.Sunset Drift needs correct timing so that the current is slow and steady.

Drop in at the up-current end of the south-western tip, descend to 10-15 m over the coral and let the slow current carry you, watching for feeding mantas, barracuda and triggerfish. Ascend together under an SMB for pick-up.

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort's PADI dive shop is the only operator: guided boat dives twice daily (early morning and afternoon, bookings open the day before), plus courses; boat rides are 10 minutes or less and all sites are moored. Day-trip packages from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast include diving. The resort does not offer shore dives.