
Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Australia · Wall · Reef
Lynnies Leap
Sharks called in over a wall that slopes past 40 m
Area photo: photoboothrental.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lynnies Leap is a wall dive on the Cocos (Keeling) atoll that the dive-guide listing reserves for the more experienced diver. The reef top starts at 14 m and eases out to the lip of the wall at 20 m before the ground slopes away past 40 m. Sharks are called in during the dive.
Where it is and how deep
12.0754° S, 96.8269° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
You start on the reef top at 14 m, which is already deeper than most first dives on this atoll begin, and the ground falls away slowly from there rather than in a step. The top of the wall proper is at 20 m, and below that the slope keeps going down past 40 m. How far you follow it is the decision that sets the shape of the whole dive.
The site is run for divers with some depth behind them and the profile shows why. There is no shallow shelf to fall back on if the dive runs long, since the reef top at 14 m is the shallowest ground on the site. Work the wall at your planned depth, then bring the dive back up onto the top to burn off the deeper part of the profile before you surface.
The other reason to come is the sharks. They are called in during the dive and, on the listing's account, usually give a good reaction when they arrive. That makes it an arranged encounter rather than a chance one, which is worth knowing in advance if that is not the kind of shark diving you are looking for.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows Cocos (Keeling) Islands: Divable year-round; Apr–Jun and Oct–Nov are calmest, with the wet season from December to March bringing more wind.
Know before you go
- The slope runs past 40 m and the shallowest ground on the site is 14 m, so there is little shallow reef to pad a long profile. Set your maximum depth and turn pressure before you drop in.
- Sharks are deliberately called in during the dive, so follow the guide's briefing and hold your position rather than swimming out to meet them.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Lynnies Leap?+
The reef top is at 14 m and drops off slowly to the top of the wall at 20 m, then slopes down past 40 m. There is nothing shallower than 14 m on the site, which is part of why it is reserved for more experienced divers.
Sources
- Lynnies Leap — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands destination listing — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
More dive sites in Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Wall
An undercut in the wall at 40 m, west of Ski Run
Wall
Drop to 40 m for sea fans, finish in a 9 m ocean pool
Reef
Sand at 5 m, coral to 9 m, and room to get buoyancy right
Coral garden
Cabbage coral from 5 to 20 m with a swim-through canyon alongside
Wall
A Montipora stand owning the wall from 16 to 35 m
Wall
Ridges to the drop-off with resident trevally and barracuda
Wall
Sea fans and a cave at 40 m under a reef top anyone can dive
Reef
An 8 m reef-and-rubble bottom out towards the drop-off
Similar dives elsewhere
Grey reef sharks patrolling a wall off the atoll's southern tip
The best-known whale shark spot on South Ari's outer reef
Wall from 4 m to past 40 m, straight off Kuramathi
Wide soft-coral overhangs under table corals along a 4 km back reef


