Reefwander
Turquoise lagoon water over a shallow coral reef at Cocos (Keeling) Islands, with a kitesurfer crossing the shallows

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

Depth profile of Lynnies Leap: typical dive 14–40 m (46–130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit14 m40 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

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
Month-by-month season rating for Lynnies Leap
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimeGood

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

  1. Lynnies Leap — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
  2. Cocos (Keeling) Islands destination listing — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide

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