Great Barrier Reef · Australia · Reef · Wall
Norman Reef
A long eastern wall dropping into deep water
Photo: (c) 呂一起(Lu i-chi), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0
Norman Reef sits 70 km northeast of Cairns and is built like a ribbon reef, with a long eastern wall that drops away into deep water. Diving runs from 10 m down past 30 m along that face, and the wall draws grey reef sharks, potato cod and eagle rays alongside the parrotfish and turtles working the coral.
Where it is and how deep
16.4274° S, 145.9973° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The reef has the classic ribbon-reef shape, a long eastern face that falls away into deep water, and dives are usually run along that wall. Profiles start deep — 30 m or more, depending on what your operator sets — and work back up along the coral into the shallows above 10 m, so the deep part of the dive is over early and the rest of the bottom time is spent shallow.
The wall is where the larger animals are. Grey reef sharks hold along the face, potato cod sit in the coral, and eagle rays cross the drop-off in open water. Parrotfish crunch through the coral in the shallower half and turtles graze the reef top. Current here is variable rather than predictable, so the direction you swim is set on the day, and the water is generally clear.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Groupers
- Eagle rays
- Sea turtles
| 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
- Current on the eastern wall is variable rather than predictable, so take the briefed direction from the crew and stay with the group along the drop-off.
Photos from Norman Reef
Leonard Low from Australia · CC BY 2.0
Leonard Low from Australia · CC BY 2.0
Rebecca Jackson · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
[Dive] Playground - Norman Reef - #GreatBarrierReef - Soft Corals and loads of fish! · Sea Spirit on YouTube
[Dive] Caves - Norman Reef - #GreatBarrierReef - Easy wall dive with caverns to explore! · Sea Spirit on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Norman Reef?+
Dives run from about 10 m down to 30 m and beyond along the eastern wall, which drops away into deep water; the coral above 10 m is where most dives finish.
Sources
- Australia - Great Barrier Reef - Cairns — Dive The World
- Norman Reef, Australia (OSM) — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- Vivid blue-tentacled sea anemone on the reef at Norman Reef by (c) 呂一起(Lu i-chi), some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Tasselled wobbegong shark resting under a coral ledge by Leonard Low from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blotched fantail ray resting on the sandy reef floor by Leonard Low from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Diverse hard coral community covering the reef at Norman Reef by Rebecca Jackson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Great Barrier Reef
A dozen resident potato cod, the largest around 30 kg
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Coral garden
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A 20 m wall with a sand patch crowded with sea cucumbers
A 25 m wall with a very shallow top for the safety stop
Small caves in a 15 m wall holding eels and octopus
One coral tower, 30 m to 5 m, dived by spiralling upward
Similar dives elsewhere
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