Potato cod
A 1.5 m grouper that approaches divers at the Cod Hole on the Ribbon Reefs and at a few Coral Sea and WA sites.
Epinephelus tukula
The Cod Hole at Ribbon Reef 10 has been the Great Barrier Reef's most famous dive since the 1970s because of its resident potato cod, groupers that reach 1.5 m and 100 kg and that approach divers to within touching distance after decades of controlled feeding. Similar cod sites exist at Cod Wall on Flinders Reef in the Coral Sea, the Cod Hole at Mermaid Reef in the Rowley Shoals, and on the Ningaloo and Kimberley reefs; the giant Queensland groper (a different, even larger species) is the equivalent on the Yongala and in the Navy Pier.
Field notes
How to find potato cod on the dive
- Depth
- 10–25 m.
- Habitat
- Coral bommies and sand arenas on the outer Great Barrier Reef, the Ribbon Reefs above all; the Cod Hole at Ribbon Reef No. 10 is where they have been fed and habituated for forty years.
- The tell
- You cannot miss a 1.5 m, 100 kg grouper that swims up to your mask. Elsewhere on the reef they sit under overhangs and at cleaning stations: look for the pale, blotched body and the enormous mouth.
- Behaviour
- Territorial and long-lived; the same individuals are recognised for decades. At the Cod Hole they approach any diver expecting food; on other reefs they are wary. They are protected in Queensland waters.
- Etiquette
- Only the guide feeds, and only at the Cod Hole under permit. Keep hands in; a cod that mistakes a glove for food bites hard. Do not touch or ride them.
Season heat map
When potato cod sites are in season
Share of the 21 potato cod sites with a stated best season that includes each month.
Stated season: Year-round.
Best sites for potato cod25 sites
Ordered by how regularly the site is dived and how well it is documented. The species is listed in each site's recorded marine life; sightings are never guaranteed.
All other sites recording potato cod
- Cod Spot · Max 20 m · Ningaloo – Exmouth
- Arlington Reef · Max 15 m · Cairns
- Gulliver's · Max 14 m · Ningaloo – Exmouth
- Cathedral (Holmes Reef) · Max 40 m · Coral Sea
- Cod Wall (Flinders Reef) · Max 40 m · Coral Sea
- Turtle Cave (Holmes Reef) · Max 26 m · Coral Sea
- Wreck of the Atlas (Bougainville Reef) · Max 15 m · Coral Sea
- Nick's Lumps · Max 15 m · Ningaloo – Exmouth
- Dibley's · Max 15 m · Ningaloo – Exmouth
- Floats · Max 15 m · Ningaloo – Exmouth
- Three Fins · Max 15 m · Ningaloo – Exmouth
- SS Llewellyn Wreck · Max 35 m · Mackay
- Blue Lagoon (Clerke Reef) · Max 25 m · Rowley Shoals
- Cod Hole (Mermaid Reef) · Max 30 m · Rowley Shoals
- Bessieres Island · Max 19 m · Pilbara & Dampier
- Predators Playground (Holmes Reef) · Max 15 m · Coral Sea
Frequently asked questions
How do I find potato cod on a dive?
Coral bommies and sand arenas on the outer Great Barrier Reef, the Ribbon Reefs above all; the Cod Hole at Ribbon Reef No. 10 is where they have been fed and habituated for forty years. You cannot miss a 1.5 m, 100 kg grouper that swims up to your mask. Elsewhere on the reef they sit under overhangs and at cleaning stations: look for the pale, blotched body and the enormous mouth.
Where is the best place to see potato cod in Australia?
Cod Hole (Ribbon Reef 10); Cod Wall (Flinders Reef); Cod Hole (Mermaid Reef, Rowley Shoals); Ningaloo.
When is the best time to see potato cod?
Year-round.
How should I approach potato cod?
Keep your hands in; they are used to feeding and investigate anything that looks like food.