Shark Observatory and Anemone City

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The way the rock of the coast curves under at this site makes it like diving into a Roman amphitheatre. The real observatory is on top of the cliff, topside. The cliff falls pretty much vertically to a depth of about a hundred metres before curling out gently at the base where it joins a shallower bay.

Apparently until recently you could still see sharks from the top of the cliff, but it’s busier with divers now so less with sharks.

The main attraction is really the way the cliff makes you feel like you’re in a big bowl. It’s a pretty sheer cliff, so not a spot for small fish, but the big guys, groupers, barracuda, snapper, tunas and of course grey or blacktip sharks pass by in shoals against the rocks, which is a pretty spectacular sight against the open backdrop which is covered in a really good array of hard and soft corals. Turtles like this spot as well, there are plenty of stories going round about then being particularly playful in these parts.

Visibility is good but currents can be tough to judge without a guide so more for experienced divers than beginners.

This site merges into another called Anemone City, so if you’re more about colour you don’t have far to go. The reef here has a couple of flat sections where there are fantastic coral heads, then splits off into a smooth wall. It’s really beautiful watching the anemones sway in the current. Named for the anemones, anemone fish aren’t going to be far off, and a really broad range of moving life converges here in the mornings for a feed. Shark reef is on the other side.

4 / 5 Review by expert member Nick Shaw