DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

The magnificent Jewell of Raine Island and Great Detached Reef text and photos by Mike Scotland

F or me, the ultimate diving playground on the Great Barrier Reef is Great Detached Reef, Raine Island. It lies up in the far North of Queensland close to PNG. about 120 Nautical miles ESE of Thursday Island. I have been lucky enough to have visited Great Detached Reef five times and have dived there 93 times. Great Detached Reef is a magical and unbelievable place to explore. There are few safe anchorages, many wild unexplored sites. It is so remote and far from civilisation.

We dived at a spot the skipper called Perisher Blue. It is a shallow, white sand dive to about 14 metres maximum. The scene from the boat was that hypnotizing clear, sapphire blue water that draws you in with a powerful urge to jump in and explore. As we dived in, the magical azure blue transfixed our senses and transported us to that serene state of exhilaration that we divers love. Time to lazily explore the islands of coral and meet the locals.

We circled around the dive site from one isolated bommie to the next. You could see your dive buddy twenty metres away. Most of the dive is less than nine metres. Besides, the dive site is a half moon area where you simply cannot get lost. I spot a few of the golden coloured Diagonal Sweetlip glowing brightly in the brilliant sunshine. Some of them were fearless and seemed to want to interact with me. There is nothing better than a

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DIVE LOG Australasia #410 - February 25

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