Osprey Reef · Australia · Wall · Pelagic & blue water · Reef
North Horn
Ten to thirty sharks work the ledges when the drum goes in
Photo: mattk1979 · CC BY-SA 2.0
North Horn sits at the northernmost tip of Osprey Reef, where the reef falls away into open Coral Sea water. It is the atoll's signature dive and the one boats run a controlled shark feed on, with grey reef, whitetip and silvertip sharks gathering in front of the ledges. Visibility of 40 m is normal and the site dives all year.
Where it is and how deep
13.8014° S, 146.5458° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive works the ledges and gorgonian fans at the northernmost tip of the reef, and for the feed the group settles into a natural coral rubble amphitheatre where up to 26 guests sit in a semi-circle at around 12 metres. Normal diving depth is 10 to 25 m, and there is nothing under you beyond that: the reef falls away into open ocean, so the profile is a matter of discipline rather than of topography. Orientation dives run down as far as perhaps 30 metres.
When the crew runs the feed, a drum of fish heads is released between 10 and 15 metres out from the viewing area and the water in front of you fills. Whitetip, grey reef and silky sharks jostle for the spoils while silvertips lurk in the background, and 10 to 30 sharks is the normal count. The feed is conducted under the strict guidelines of the Queensland government rather than run as a free-for-all.
With the drum gone the site settles back into a wall dive. Potato cod come in close, and barracuda, giant trevally, mackerel, rainbow runners and big dogtooth tuna work the corner, with eagle rays and manta rays passing through. Great hammerheads are seen here and the occasional tiger shark, and with visibility of 40 metres they read clearly against the blue long before they are anywhere near you.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Hammerheads
- Tiger sharks
- Manta rays
- Eagle rays
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Tuna
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows Osprey Reef: Coral Sea crossings run in the calmer dry season; cyclone risk and rough seas suspend trips Jan–Feb, with hammerhead numbers building Sep–Dec.
Know before you go
- Shark numbers climb fast once the drum of fish heads is released: hold the position the crew briefs in the amphitheatre and let the feed run its course before you move off.
- There is no bottom below the ledges, only open ocean, so depth creeps easily; the dive is planned in the 10 to 25 m band where the structure and the action are.
Photos from North Horn
mattk1979 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Richard Ling · CC BY-SA 2.0
Richard Ling · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
SHARK FEED North Horn - Osprey Reef Great Barrier Reef · cairnsdivedirectory on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is North Horn?+
Normal diving depth is 10 to 25 m, and the shark feed is watched from a coral rubble amphitheatre at around 12 m. Orientation dives run down as far as perhaps 30 m, and the wall itself carries on into open ocean well below that.
Do you need to be an advanced diver?+
It is rated for advanced divers. Nothing about the site is technically hard, but there is no bottom under you, current can run, and the shark feed asks you to stay put and stay calm in blue water.
When can you dive North Horn?+
You can dive North Horn all year long. It is liveaboard-only, though, so in practice you go when the Coral Sea itineraries are running rather than whenever you like.
Sources
- North Horn dive site — Divezone
- Osprey Reef, Australia dive sites — Dive The World
- Osprey Reef dive sites — Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
Photo credits
- Grey reef sharks and fish massing over the reef during a shark feed at North Horn. by mattk1979, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- A school of anthias drifting over coral bommies on the reef at North Horn. by mattk1979, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- A red-eyed reef fish sheltering against red encrusting sponge at North Horn. by Richard Ling, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A double-bar goatfish resting against coral on the reef at North Horn. by Richard Ling, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- How long should a surface interval be?Body & health · 8 min read
- Why is the sea blue? Water filters out redOcean science · 7 min read
- When and where to dive with hammerheadsBig animals · 16 min read
- Liveaboard vs resort diving: which suits you?Trip planning · 6 min read
More dive sites in Osprey Reef
Wall
Gullies and trenches between reef turrets, and a gorgonian-filled overhang.
Wall
Blue-water swim-throughs at the lip of a 30 m drop
Wall
Bommies from 20 m on the lip of a thousand-metre wall.
Similar dives elsewhere
An early-morning drop into the blue for hammerheads
Hook into the plateau lip and let the sharks stack up off the edge
Hundreds of batfish and jacks holding in the current
Wall and bommies with fiddler rays and eagle rays, dived above or below 20 m