Queensland · 42 sites
Whitsundays & Bowen dive sites
The Whitsundays are better known for sailing than diving, but Hook Island's northern bays (Manta Ray Bay, Pinnacle Point, Luncheon Bay) have good fringing coral, Maori wrasse and turtles, and Bait Reef and Hardy Reef on the outer barrier have the Stepping Stones and Hardy's coral walls. Bowen, to the north, has quiet shore snorkelling on the Horseshoe and Murray bay reefs.
- Sites
- 42
- Wrecks
- 0
- Shore
- 3
- Boat
- 39
- Beginner
- 22
- Deepest
- 36 m
Conditions outlook · Late September – October 2026
Written 27 September 2026Prime season: light winds, 23–24 °C water, the outer reef (Bait Reef, Hardy) reachable on day trips and liveaboards. Humpbacks are still in the passage in early October. Book before the school holidays fill the boats.
Getting there
Fly to Hamilton Island or Proserpine, or drive to Airlie Beach. Day boats and overnight sailing trips include diving; outer-reef trips take 2–3 hours each way.
When to go
Year-round in suitable weather; June to October is driest and stinger-free.
Water & suit
Summer 27-29 °C · winter 22-24 °C. 3 mm full suit or stinger suit in summer (lycra/stinger suit essential Nov–May); 5 mm full suit June–September
Nearest chamber: Townsville University Hospital hyperbaric unit (Douglas, Townsville)
Most recorded marine life in Whitsundays & Bowen
- Turtles 21
- Coral trout 18
- Reef fish 16
- Sweetlips 14
- Wrasse 13
- Damselfish 12
- Parrotfish 12
- Reef sharks 12
- Cod 11
- Hard corals 11
- Fusiliers 10
- Maori wrasse 9
- Angelfish 8
- Trevally 8
Plan a dive trip to Whitsundays & Bowen →Find your diveCompare the top 4 side by sideNew diver? Start here
The most-dived sites in Whitsundays & Bowen
Suggested trip
A 3-day dive trip to Whitsundays & Bowen
Built from the sites in this region: an easy start, the signature dives, then something deeper or further. Swap days around the weather; the site pages say which winds and swell close each one.
Build your own Whitsundays & Bowen plan: pick days, level and must-dive sites →Day 1 · Settle in
Start with Whitsundays & Bowen's easier shore dives: check your weighting, get used to the water temperature and dive the sheltered side of the coast.
- Horseshoe Bay (Bowen)Shore/Rock Platform · Max 6 m · Snorkel/Any
- Murray Bay (Bowen)Shore/Rock Platform · Max 6 m · Open Water
Day 2 · The signature dives
A charter day on the sites people travel to Whitsundays & Bowen for.
- Stepping Stones (Bait Reef)Pinnacle/Bommie · Max 30 m · Advanced Open Water
- Manta Ray Drop-off (Bait Reef)Wall · Max 36 m · Deep/Advanced + experience
Day 3 · Deeper or further
For divers with the certification and the weather: the deeper walls, pinnacles or less-visited sites of Whitsundays & Bowen.
- Manta Ray Bay (Hook Island)Reef · Max 25 m · Advanced Open Water
- Southern Face (Bait Reef)Reef · Max 30 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive centres and charters in Whitsundays & Bowen
All Queensland operators →Operators recorded as running sites in this region. Each profile lists the specific sites it goes to.
Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
South Townsville · Townsville & Magnetic Island · QLD
A Townsville operation running SS Yongala trips alongside reef diving and training.
adrenalindive.com.au · (07) 4724 0600
CharterTrainingDestination4 services46 sites
Whitsunday Dive Adventures
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
A Whitsundays diving operation offering trips and training.
whitsundaydiveadventures.com · 0477 694 061
CharterTraining2 services39 sites
Airlie Beach Dive Centre
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
An Airlie Beach operation providing training and certified diving in the Whitsundays.
airliebeachdiving.com · 0404 677 400
TrainingCharter3 services
OceanSense Freediving Airlie Beach
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
A freediving-focused operation at Airlie Beach. This is a different discipline from scuba and should not be grouped with scuba training centres.
oceansense.com.au · 0426 440 491
Freediving1 services
Reef Safari Diving
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
A Whitsundays operation providing diving in conjunction with sailing and reef tour products.
reefsafari.com · (07) 4946 4766
CharterDestination2 services
Whitsunday Diving Academy
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
A Whitsundays training-focused operation. Course range and agency affiliation require verification.
whitsundaydivingacademy.com.au · (07) 4946 4449
Training2 services
Whitsunday Expeditions
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
A Whitsundays multi-day trip operator. The proportion of scuba diving within its products requires verification.
whitsundayexpeditions.com · 0473 455 038
CharterDestination1 services
Cruise Whitsundays
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
Reef cruise operator (Reefworld pontoon) offering introductory and certified dives; not a dive shop.
cruisewhitsundays.com · (07) 4846 7000
36 sites
Explore Group
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
Tour company (Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach) offering snorkel and dive day trips from Shute Harbour; no Airlie Beach street address published.
exploregroup.com.au · (07) 4253 3340
36 sites
Red Cat Adventures
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
Whitsundays day and sailing tours (Thundercat, Wildcat); also 1300 317 445.
redcatadventures.com.au · (07) 4946 4444
25 sites
Ocean Rafting
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
Whitsundays day tour operator (snorkel, some dive).
oceanrafting.com.au · (07) 4946 6848
19 sites
Whitsunday Expeditions / Explore Whitsundays
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Airlie Beach · Whitsundays & Bowen · QLD
Explore Whitsundays is a tour booking agency; Whitsunday Expeditions is listed separately.
explorewhitsundays.com · (07) 4967 7555
2 sites
Map of Whitsundays & Bowen dive sites
Click a pin for the site. 8 sites without published coordinates are not shown.
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34 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
All 42 Whitsundays & Bowen dive sites
All Whitsundays & Bowen sites at a glance
42 sites in Whitsundays & Bowen · click a column to sort
| Alcyonaria Point (Hook Island) | Wall | Max 18 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| Bird Island (Whitsundays) | Island | Max 15 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Black Island (Bali Hai) | Island | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| Black Reef (Whitsundays) | Reef | Max 25 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (multi-day/liveaboard) | Occasional |
| Blue Pearl Bay (Hayman Island) | Reef | Max 18 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Daily |
| Butterfly Bay (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Cateran Bay (Border Island) | Reef | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Dolphin Point (Hayman Island) | Reef | Max 18 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| Gary's Lagoon (Bait Reef) | Reef | Max 18 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Gloucester Passage / Gloucester Island | Island | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat | Rare |
| Hardy Reef South | Reef | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Haslewood Island – Waite Bay | Reef | Max 18 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Hayman Island – East Reef | Reef | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Henry's Bommie (Fairey Reef) | Pinnacle/Bommie | Max 15 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Horseshoe Bay (Bowen) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 6 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Occasional |
| Knuckle Reef Lagoon | Reef | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (multi-day/liveaboard) | Occasional |
| Langford Reef (Langford Island) | Reef | Max 15 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Line Reef | Wall | Max 25 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Little Fairey Inlet (Fairey Reef) | Wall | Max 16 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Luncheon Bay (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 15 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Mackerel Bay (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| Manta Ray Bay (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 25 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Daily |
| Manta Ray Drop-off (Bait Reef) | Wall | Max 36 m | Deep/Advanced + experience | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Maureen's Cove (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Murray Bay (Bowen) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 6 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Ngaro Underwater Sculpture Trail | Artificial Reef | Max 10 m | Snorkel/Any | Boat (day trip) | Daily |
| Reefworld Pontoon (Hardy Reef) | Reef | Max 18 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Daily |
| Rose Bay (Bowen) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 7 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Saba Bay (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 15 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| Shark Alley (Hardy Reef) | Wall | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Sinker Reef (Whitsundays) | Wall | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| Southern Face (Bait Reef) | Reef | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Stepping Stones (Bait Reef) | Pinnacle/Bommie | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| Stonehaven Anchorage (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 12 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Weekly |
| The Canyons (Hardy Reef) | Reef | Max 18 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| The Chimney & Cathedral (Bait Reef) | Cave/Cavern | Max 22 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| The Cluster (Bait Reef) | Pinnacle/Bommie | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (multi-day/liveaboard) | Occasional |
| The Gardens (Whitsunday Island) | Reef | Max 15 m | Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| The Pinnacles (Hook Island) | Reef | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Daily |
| The Shoals (Fairey Reef) | Reef | Max 25 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
| The Woodpile (Hook Island) | Wall | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Occasional |
| Tina's Arm (Fairey Reef) | Wall | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat (day trip) | Rare |
Whitsundays & Bowen diving FAQ
How do I get to the dive sites in Whitsundays & Bowen?
Fly to Hamilton Island or Proserpine, or drive to Airlie Beach. Day boats and overnight sailing trips include diving; outer-reef trips take 2–3 hours each way.
When is the best time to dive Whitsundays & Bowen?
Year-round in suitable weather; June to October is driest and stinger-free.
How many dive sites are there in Whitsundays & Bowen?
42 documented sites and 3 that can be dived independently from the shore. The deepest reaches 36 m.
Are there beginner dive sites in Whitsundays & Bowen?
Yes, 22 sites are rated beginner. Look for the green Beginner tag in the list below, and check the weather notes on each page before diving.
How cold is the water in Whitsundays & Bowen?
Typically 27-29 °C in summer and 22-24 °C in winter. Most divers wear 3 mm full suit or stinger suit in summer (lycra/stinger suit essential Nov–May); 5 mm full suit June–September.
Which dive centres operate in Whitsundays & Bowen?
Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive, Whitsunday Dive Adventures, Airlie Beach Dive Centre, OceanSense Freediving Airlie Beach, Reef Safari Diving, Whitsunday Diving Academy and others are recorded as running sites in Whitsundays & Bowen. Each site page lists the operators known to go there.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Whitsundays & Bowen?
Townsville University Hospital hyperbaric unit (Douglas, Townsville). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
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