Around the Bend

Around the Bend (Coral Sea)

Prepare for an exhilarating advanced dive at Around the Bend, a premier dive site nestled on the western side of Osprey Reef. This isolated Coral Sea atoll, located roughly 350 km northeast of Cairns, is exclusively accessible via multi-night liveaboard expeditions, offering a truly remote and pristine diving experience. We consider this dive site a must for experienced divers seeking thrilling encounters with pelagic life and dramatic underwater topography.

The Dive Experience

As its name suggests, Around the Bend is characterized by a significant bend in the reef, which shapes a thrilling drift dive. Divers will find themselves drifting along a sheer wall that plunges dramatically into the blue, dropping to depths exceeding 1000 meters. The dive often begins on a plateau featuring gutters, ridges, and bommies, explorable down to depths of 30 meters. A unique "highway" of coral rubble, running from 3 to 20 meters, divides sections of the reef and adds to the interesting topography.

A highlight of this dive site is an isolated bommie, richly covered in soft corals and gorgonians, which serves as a natural cleaning station. Positioned around 32 meters, this bommie is a magnet for marine activity, especially graceful Reef Manta Rays (Mobula alfredi) that hover in the current to be cleaned. While manta rays are commonly spotted in the Coral Sea from April to October, the period from June through November is particularly renowned for their presence here.

Marine Life Encounters

Around the Bend is a vibrant hub for pelagic species. Divers can expect frequent sightings of Grey Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) and Whitetip Reef Sharks (Triaenodon obesus) patrolling the wall. Keep an eye out for impressive schools of Bigeye Trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus) and Chevron Barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) in the blue. The healthy reef system also hosts magnificent Humphead Wrasse (Napoleon) (Cheilinus undulatus), often seen cruising the reef. Divers will also encounter the formidable Titan Triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens) and serene Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) navigating the corals.

Conditions and Certification

Due to its remote location and exposure to moderate currents, Around the Bend is classified as an advanced dive site. Divers will experience water temperatures that typically range from 22°C in winter to a balmy 29°C in summer. The depths explored, combined with the potential for strong currents, necessitate careful dive planning and awareness of decompression obligation. We strongly recommend this dive site for divers holding an Advanced Open Water certification or higher. Given the site's remoteness, the nearest recompression chamber is a full liveaboard crossing back to Cairns, underscoring the importance of safe diving practices and adherence to dive limits.