The Colours is a Forster reef site whose name points to its main drawcard — a stretch of reef with a particularly vivid covering of sponges and soft corals, in the kind of density that stands out even against the generally colourful reef growth typical of this section of coast where temperate and subtropical species overlap. Like several other sites in the Forster Dive Centre rotation, detailed published description of its exact topography and fish life is limited, suggesting it is used as a photography-oriented option or a change-of-pace dive rather than a headline destination promoted heavily to visiting divers. Depths sit in the moderate range typical of the inshore Forster reef system, comfortably within open-water diver limits.

Divers with an interest in macro and reef photography are likely to get the most out of The Colours, given its apparent emphasis on sessile invertebrate growth over big-animal encounters, and it is best booked through Forster Dive Centre with a specific request if that is the priority for the day, since the more heavily marketed Pinnacle and Latitude Rock dives are likely to be the default offering otherwise. As with several other lesser-documented sites in this cluster, confidence in the specific details here is lower than for the region's flagship dives, and visiting divers should confirm current conditions and exact site character with the local operator before planning around it specifically. Divers keen on this style of dive are best served by naming it specifically when booking, so the operator can confirm it suits the day's plan.

Boats depart from Forster Dive Centre's base at Tuncurry (30 Manning Lane) or the Forster/Tuncurry boat ramp on Wallis Lake, running out through the lake entrance to the open sites. Forster-side sites (Latitude Rock, The Pinnacle, Bennetts Head Bommie) are 10-25 minutes away; Seal Rocks sites are a longer run of roughly 45-60 minutes further south, or reached by launching a boat directly from the Seal Rocks/Sugarloaf Point boat ramp for a much shorter trip.

Forster and Seal Rocks sit on an open, exposed stretch of coast with limited shelter — trips are cancelled in significant easterly swell or strong wind, and operators generally want under 1.5-2 m swell to run safely, especially for the Seal Rocks sites given the longer, more exposed run. Visibility is typically best in autumn and winter (15-30 m) and can drop after East Coast Lows or heavy rain from the Wallis Lake/Myall Lakes catchments. Grey nurse sharks are present through most of the year with the largest aggregations typically reported over the cooler months.

Descend onto the reef and take an unhurried pace to appreciate the sponge and soft coral colour that gives the site its name, working the structure at 12-22 m before an easy ascent.

Forster Dive Centre (Tuncurry) — daily boat trips to Forster and Seal Rocks sites, year-round.