Mooloolaba · Australia · Pinnacle
The Pinnacles
Two towers off the sand at 24 m, tops at 14 and 16 m
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
Two rock pinnacles rising out of the sand at 24 metres, one topping out at 16 and the other at 14, on the Mooloolaba coral reefs. Scuba World gives the site as 15 to 24 metres and asks for Open Water or Advanced certification. It is easy ground to navigate, and the feature divers are sent to find is a large blue anemone on the side of one of the towers.
Also known as Pinnacles.
Where it is and how deep
26.6515° S, 153.1537° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The two pinnacles rise from the sand in 24 metres. The top of one is at 16 metres and the other rises to 14, which gives the dive an obvious shape: drop to the base of the first tower, work your way around and up it, then cross to the second and spend the shallow half of the dive there. Scuba World gives the range as 15 to 24 metres and asks for Open Water or Advanced certification.
It is described as one of the most popular dive sites on the Mooloolaba coral reefs and one of the easiest to navigate, since the towers are the landmark and the sand tells you where the site ends. The rock carries corals and tropical fish, and the highlight Scuba World singles out is a massive blue anemone on the side of one of the pinnacles, which is worth finding before you start up the shallower tower.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Mooloolaba: Grey nurse sharks hold at Nurse Rock July–October, the months operators also rate clearest; summer is murkier and falls inside the November–April cyclone season.
Sources
- Mooloolaba Reef Diving — Scuba World
- Pinnacles — Scubago
More dive sites in Mooloolaba
Reef
Thousands of anemones, and shrimp 5 mm long
Wreck
A 133 m destroyer on sand at 28 m, dived outside only
Wall
A 50 m wall with an overhang you shoot from underneath
Reef
A mini cave that usually holds pelagics and wobbegongs
Reef
Grey nurse sharks on the rock from July to October
Sheltered ledge from 16 m up to 5 m, thick with nudibranchs
Reef
Eighty metres of coral-covered boulders on open sand
Reef
Reef shaped like a hull, in 23 to 32 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A manta cleaning station beside a coral-covered Admiralty anchor
A 200 m rock circled in one dive, 18 m sand to 12 m top
The island's main manta cleaning station, in 14 m of water
Loose bommie field in 14–19 m that rays and sharks cross