Tusa T6 - Cairns

Dive Sites Visited  :  2 dive/snorkel sites are selected each day based on tides and conditions.  The dive sites described below are all Tusa sites.  

Hastings Reef
The Fish Bowl : The Fish Bowl is a circular wall of coral that encloses an area with a multitude of fish life - lots of colourful damsels, anemones & clownfish, yellow tailed fusseliers, spangled emperor, and a resident maori wrasse. Colourful corals with staghorn beds and lots of giant clams are found here, and dolphins and manta rays are among the occasional visitors. Average depth is 12 metres, and range is 8 -18 metres. A great site for both divers and snorkelers and one of Tusa’s most popular.

Wild Side : On the Eastern side of Hastings Reef, the wild side can be dived when the winds are light or Northerly. Divers can choose to dive the main reef wall, or explore a number of small deeper bommies below the boat.

Jorgeys Patch 
The Drop Off  :  The Drop Off has a great wall to cruise along that drops off to 30 metres and with slight current brings in sharks, pelagics, schools of fusiliers. Known for brilliant coral and fish life and good visibility averaging 20 metres with plenty of beautiful staghorn and tabletop corals in the shallows.

Michaelmas Reef
Turtle & Banana Bommie  :  Close to Michaelmas cay, Banana Bommie runs behind the boat and is a great dive for the divers, while in front of the vessel, Turtle Bommie offers some beautiful snorkelling. Many interesting creatures have been spotted at this dive site, including large schools of grazing parrotfish and surgeonfish, manta rays, dolphins and plenty of turtles. The top of Banana Bommie has a good variety of soft corals

Milln Reef
Three Sisters  :  The 'Three Sisters' are three large bommies that rise from a depth of 30m, with swim throughs and huge gorgonian fans. Schools of sweetlips, barracuda, and mackarel are found feeding in the slight current, with lots of colourful anthias on the bommies. Known for sightings of reef sharks and other pelagics. A site located very close to the edge of the continental shelf, with an average visibility of more than 20 metres.

Oasis  :  The Oasis mooring is in the shallows of the main reef wall. The wall itself is a great dive with some fantastic corals and plenty of fish life. The large coral outcrops are often hiding sweetlips and cod, along with the occasional lionfish. Being at the southern end of Milln Reef this site is very susceptible to current but is well worth the effort.

Whale Bommie  :  Whale Bommie has fooled many people over the years. The reef top just below the surface often has waves breaking over the top of the reef, which from a distance look very much like a whale breaching. The Whale has a nice swim through and a great variety of marine life.

Petajh  :  Petajh has a group of shallow bommies scattered off the edge of the main reef. The large outer bommie runs out into about 18 metres of water, while most of the smaller bommies are in depths around 12 metres.

Pretty Patches
Canyons  :  Canyons and strange coral formations make quite a surreal underwater seascape and a very interesting dive. Lots of anemones and clownfish dotted all over this site, which has regular sightings of turtles and blue spotted lagoon rays. Max depth 20 metres, and average visibility 15 metres.

Saxon Reef
Magic Wall  :  Magic Wall is at the Northern end of Saxon Reef. The mooring sits at the edge of the edge of the main reef wall in about 6 metres of water. The wall slopes away to around 20 metres and a sandy bottom. Heading North from the mooring brings you to the point which often attracts huge schools of fusiliers and damsel fish. Turtles are spotted regularly, as are Moray Eels and Reef Sharks.

Twin Peaks  :  Twin Peaks is a bommie about 50 metres off the main reef wall. Its two peaks rise from a sandy bottom at 22 metres to just below the surface. The peaks often attract some larger pelagic fish and also reef sharks. A dive here usually starts on the peaks, and ends in the shallows along the reef wall.

Thetford Reef
Sand Patch  :  Also commonly know as "North West Thetford" or "Tusa Canyons", this mooring is on a shallow sandy patch on top of the reef flat. There is a nice coral garden around 6 metres deep leading out to the wall which drops away to over 20 metres. The wall has many interesting swim-throughs and caves.

Horseshoe  :  The 'Horseshoe is a maze of five coral outcrops (bommies) scattered in a horsehoe shape that offers some interesting swim-throughs and chasms. Two large canyons with gorgonian fans. Expect to see schools of giant trevally, fusiliers, and sweetlips, while different varieties of clownfish are scattered across the top of the reef, protected in their host anemone. The max depth is 25 metres, but average is only 10 metres. Average visibility 15 metres. The shallows at the back of the Horseshoe are perfect for introductory divers and snorkellers.

Dog's Bommie  :  Dog's Bommie rises from around 22 metres at the bottom, to around 4 metres below the surface. Being quite a distance from the reef and in deeper water, Dog's Bommie can attract larger pelagic fish like Mackeral and Tuna. Schools of bright fusiliers gather in the open and tiny blue-green damsels dart for cover across the top of the reef. Because it is fairly exposed, this site is usually only dived in good weather.

Canyons  :  Canyons is a great dive for those who enjoy navigating their way via swim-throughs and canyons in the reef. Separated from the main reef, this bommie rises from around 20 metres to just below the surface. The variety of corals here is stunning, and hundreds of damselfish and fusiliers can be found schooling just beneath the boat. Snorkellers will enjoy the abundant coral growth in the shallows.

The Edge  :  Good Wall dive to 25 metres. Expect to see schools of pelagics, barracuda, and reef sharks. Often sightings of eagle rays, moray eels, and a seemingly resident leopard shark. Average visibility 18 metres.