419 Dive Log Australasia AUGUST 2026

E very dive tells a different story. As light changes with the clouds, visibility shifts with the weather, the reef itself transforms across the seasons. As an underwater photographer I see these not as obstacles but as opportunities. Learning to understand them is arguably just as important as the right camera or lens. ‘A Photographer’s Guide to the Wildlife and Seasonal Changes of the Frankland Islands’ text and photos by Conor Moore

Free diving upside down around coral bommies while lining up the sun was dis orientating, but a very compliant green sea turtle made it easier to photograph.

The Frankland Islands are unlike any other dive destination in Far North Queensland. Conditions can vary dramatically throughout the year, influenced by weather, tides, the flow of the Russell, wind direction and water temperature. Having worked as the resident photographer at the Frankland Islands, I’ve spent my fair share of time exploring every nook and cranny I could poke my head into. Every season has revealed something different, teaching me new ways to work with nature and the environment I am immersed by. The appeal lies not in the dramatic walls or deep-water encounters, but in the subtle interactions between land and sea.

In this article I’ll share how the changing seasons influence the wildlife, diving conditions and photography opportunities around the Frankland Islands. I’ll also offer some insights that might change the way you approach your next dive trip. A typical day begins with a river cruise down the shallow and mangrove-lined Russell River before emerging onto the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Located around 10 kilometres offshore from the mouth of the Russell River, this group of islands is shaped by the unison of rainforest and reef. The morning journey down the river is an appropriate hint at what makes this

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0DIVE LOG Australasia #419 August ‘26

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