Yonge Reef lies about 55 minutes from Lizard Island and 25 minutes from the Cod Hole, and the resort describes it as an adventure drift dive and snorkel site featuring beautiful colours, at depths of 5–20 m, with nudibranchs, moray eels and whitetip reef sharks. The drift format means the tide carries divers along the reef, giving a sense of flying over the coral. The reef edge is colourful – hard and soft corals in a range of hues – and hosts reef fish, moray eels peering from holes, and nudibranchs on the reef surfaces.

Whitetip reef sharks rest on ledges or cruise along the reef. Snorkellers can also drift along the reef, making it a site for both divers and snorkellers. Guides manage the drift with a surface marker buoy and boat pick-up.

Yonge Reef is named after Maurice Yonge, leader of the 1928–29 Great Barrier Reef Expedition based at Low Isles. It lies on the outer barrier north of Lizard Island, near the passage through which Captain Cook took the Endeavour out of the reef in 1770 (Cook's Passage). The site suits divers comfortable with drift diving.

Depths are moderate, and the reef's colour makes it popular with photographers. Current strength depends on the tide, and guides choose timing accordingly. Like all outer-reef sites reached from Lizard Island, it is weather-dependent: strong south-east trades can cancel the crossing, and the nearest recompression chamber is in Townsville, several hours away by aeromedical evacuation, so conservative profiles and evacuation-inclusive dive insurance are strongly advised.

Lizard Island lies about 27 km off the Cape York coast and roughly 240 km north of Cairns. Most visitors fly: resort guests take the scheduled light-aircraft transfer from Cairns (about 1 hour) to the island airstrip, and campers can charter flights or arrive by private boat. There is no public ferry.

The dive and snorkel sites are reached by the Lizard Island Resort dive centre's boats (reserved for resort guests) or by liveaboards – Spirit of Freedom uses Lizard as the fly-in/fly-out changeover point for its 3- and 4-night trips, and Mike Ball's Spoilsport visits on Cairns-based expeditions. Campers at Watsons Bay must carry gear about 1.2 km from the airstrip and bring all supplies. From Lizard Island the resort boat runs out to the Ribbon Reefs in roughly 45–55 minutes on its full-day outer reef excursion; Cairns liveaboards (Mike Ball, Spirit of Freedom and others) reach the northern Ribbon Reefs overnight.

Lizard Island sits in the path of the south-east trade winds, which blow strongly (often 20–30 knots) from about April to September. The island's western and northern bays (Watsons Bay, Mermaid Cove, Anchor Bay) are sheltered, but open-water crossings to the outer ribbon reefs (Cod Hole, Dynamite Passage, No Name) can be rough and are cancelled in strong winds. October–December usually brings lighter winds and the clearest water; the wet season (December–April) brings northerly winds, storms, cyclone risk and marine stingers (November–May).

Tides are significant – shallow bay snorkelling (e.g. Clam Gardens) is best around high tide. Visibility around the island is typically 10–20 m; the outer ribbon reefs often exceed 25 m.

Enter as a group up-current, descend to 10–15 m along the reef edge and drift with the tide, keeping close to the guide's SMB. Look for morays and nudibranchs in the reef, and ascend together at the end for a tender or boat pick-up with a safety stop mid-water.

Lizard Island Resort – outer reef excursions and private charters for guests; occasionally on northern liveaboard itineraries.