Great Barrier Reef · Australia · Reef
Cod Hole
A dozen resident potato cod, the largest around 30 kg
Photo: Phil Kirkpatrick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Cod Hole sits on Ribbon Reef No. 10, about 190 km from Port Douglas, and is named for the dozen or so potato cod that live on it — fish reaching 30 kg that come straight to divers. The dive itself is undemanding: 10 to 25 m over coral ridges in light current, with visibility that regularly runs past 20 m.
Where it is and how deep
14.6642° S, 145.6635° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Boats drop divers onto a line and the descent runs to about 15 m, where the cod gather. The potato cod arrive early — a dozen or so live here permanently, the largest around 30 kg — and they come close enough that keeping them out of the frame is harder than finding them. Maori wrasse work the same patch, and whitetip reef sharks cruise the edges of the group.
From there the site opens into the coral ridges divers call the Supermarket Aisles, which you can follow out and back within the 10 to 25 m band. Coral trout, sweetlips, triggerfish and trevally hold along the ridges; wobbegongs and nurse sharks lie up in the coral, and pygmy seahorses are on the list for anyone diving with a guide who knows where to look. Clarity is usually 20 m or better and the current is light or absent, so the profile stays unhurried.
Some operator listings put the site's full range at 6 to 32 m, so there is deeper ground off the ends of the ridges if your training and gas plan cover it, but the cod and the best coral are all in the top 25 m. Most groups finish back at the shallow end near the line they came down, which leaves plenty of no-decompression time for a long safety stop with the cod still in view.
Background
The site was publicised by the underwater photographers Ron and Valerie Taylor, and divers have been feeding the potato cod here for around twenty years. Their numbers have declined as the site has become more popular — the average number of cod seen per dive almost halved between 1992 and 1998 — and the sanctioned feeding, along with the number of visitors, has made Cod Hole a focal point in the debate over reef management.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Napoleon wrasse
- Reef sharks
- Wobbegongs
- Trevally & jacks
- Pygmy seahorses
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair |
Season follows Great Barrier Reef: Boats sail all year; visibility peaks from September to November and corals spawn in October or November, while December to February brings the most rain, often at night.
Know before you go
- The site is very popular and can be crowded in high season; expect other boats on the mooring and give the cod-feeding area room rather than dropping in on top of the group ahead.
Photos from Cod Hole
mattk1979 · CC BY-SA 2.0
mattk1979 · CC BY-SA 2.0
mattk1979 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
Diving the "Cod Hole" on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, after Cyclone Yasi | underwater footage · Undersea Productions on YouTube
Diving at the Cod Hole · Best Job in the World, Queensland, Australia on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Cod Hole?+
The normal profile runs 10 to 25 m, with the cod and the best coral in the shallower half. Some listings give the site's full range as 6 to 32 m.
How do you get to Cod Hole?+
It sits on Ribbon Reef No. 10, about 190 km from Port Douglas, so most divers arrive on a four- or five-day liveaboard from Cairns or Port Douglas. A day trip from Lizard Island is the alternative.
What will I see at Cod Hole?+
A dozen or so resident potato cod, the largest around 30 kg, along with Maori wrasse, whitetip reef sharks, wobbegongs and nurse sharks, plus coral trout, sweetlips and trevally along the coral ridges.
Sources
- Cod Hole - Ribbon No 10 Reef - GBR Australia — Divezone
- Cod Hole — Wikipedia
- Australia - Great Barrier Reef - Ribbon Reefs — Dive The World
Photo credits
- Large spotted potato cod swimming in clear blue water by Phil Kirkpatrick, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Diver feeding a large potato cod on the sandy sea floor by mattk1979, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- Potato cod close up with a diver blurred in the background by mattk1979, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- Group of divers gathered around a potato cod with fish overhead by mattk1979, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
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