The Nursery is one of the fifteen Norman Reef moorings listed by Australian Traveller, but unlike most of its neighbours it has no published site description, so the account here is necessarily general. The name suggests a sheltered area where juvenile fish congregate, a feature common on the protected western side of Norman where most moorings lie. Norman Reef itself is a reasonably large reef on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, around 58 km north-east of Cairns.

Cairns Dive Adventures describes shallow snorkelling at about 5 m and gently sloping walls on the eastern side, with giant clams, seagrass, anemonefish, coral trout, trumpetfish, humphead wrasse, cuttlefish, moray eels, glass shrimp and sea turtles, and notes that epaulette sharks can be seen in the shallows at extremely low tides. Divers Den highlights clear water, beautiful and diverse corals and coral canyons, sharks, anemonefish, cuttlefish and coral trout. A nursery site on this reef would be expected to offer shallow, sheltered coral with plenty of juvenile fish sheltering among branching corals, and it would suit beginners, snorkellers and macro photographers.

Divers who are offered this mooring should rely on the guide's briefing for its layout. The Lionfish Bommie and Split Bommie features sometimes associated with it in secondary listings are described by Divers Den as part of its Playground mooring, which has its own entry. It is a candidate for further research and site-specific confirmation with Norman Reef operators.

Visibility on Norman is typically 15-25 m, and conditions on the western moorings are usually calm with little current.

Boat access only. Cairns day boats leave from the Reef Fleet Terminal (1 Spence Street) and the neighbouring Marlin Marina on the city waterfront, with check-in between about 7:00 and 8:00 am; most operators run transfers from city and northern-beaches accommodation, and there is paid parking near the terminal. The run of about 58 km out through Trinity Inlet and across the lagoon to Norman Reef takes around 82 minutes on a fast catamaran and noticeably longer on slower dive boats or into a south-easterly chop.

The Nursery is listed among Norman's moorings; it is used occasionally by Norman Reef operators. Enter from the stern platform.

The prevailing south-east trade winds (typically 15-25 knots from April to September) are what limit Cairns outer-reef diving: above about 25 knots trips may be cancelled, and exposed eastern moorings are used only in light winds. Summer northerlies are gentler but make north-facing moorings choppy. Box jellyfish and Irukandji are present from about November to May (stinger suits on every dive), and the cyclone season runs November to April, when a system in the Coral Sea can close the reef for days.

Visibility drops after heavy rain and strong winds; spring is usually calmest and clearest. Most Norman moorings lie on its protected western side. Site-specific exposure is not published; like most Norman moorings it is likely on the sheltered western side.

Follow the guide's briefing. A typical Norman sheltered-mooring dive descends to 8-12 m, tours the nearby coral heads and returns across the shallows for a safety stop.

Norman Reef day boats and liveaboards – occasional; Norman is also worked by Divers Den (Ocean Quest liveaboard), Reef Experience, Aqua Quest, Down Under Cruise & Dive, Reef Encounter and Passions of Paradise; the mooring used on any day is chosen by the skipper according to wind, tide and other boats