409 Dive Log Australasia December 24

Schooling fish

Blue Spot Ray

15ms but mostly you will find the vis running at around 20 metres and out to 40 metres plus at times. The Ribbons epitomize how varied life within the GBRMP can be. There is also diversity within dive sites - each with their own unique wildlife and geographic characteristics. There is no best time to go. It depends on what you want to see. For example, from January to March is turtle hatching time, from June to August you can just about gamble your house on being able to snorkel with the Minke Whales while humpback sightings are also common. In August to early September you can witness the aggregation of mating Sweet Lips at dive sites such as the ‘Cod Hole’, in November, coral reef fin fish species such as emperor, cod, and coral trout aggregate to spawn and the mass coral spawning event occurs. From September to December, sea birds are everywhere, and Whale Sharks and Manta Rays could happen by anytime. Coral cover throughout the Ribbons is

hands. On most days 4 dives plus a night dive are offered, but you have to be careful not to let your enthusiasm run away with safe diving practices. They say you can control just about anything except the weather. The good news is in the Ribbons wind and swell is not a massive issue. The winds are most commonly easterlies in southern hemisphere winter and switch to northerlies in the summer. With the advanced communications on board the liveaboards, early warning of weather changes is maintained. Meanwhile, most of the dive sites are protected from open ocean swells by the Great Barrier Reef. With so many reefs there is also the opportunity to change sites to suit the daily environmental conditions. For example, ‘Vertical Gardens’ in the top of #9 can be dived even if strong northernly winds prevail. The Ribbons lie in the path of the Eastern Australian Current. Underwater visibility is very rarely below

A magical Ribbon Reef scene

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DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24