The best snorkel spots you need to check out once in a lifetime
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It is said to be one of the most spectacular reefs in the Great Barrier; Opal Reef. We have lined up three beautiful sites at this reef that should definitely be on your bucket list.
Get lost in the coral gardens and check out the beautiful bommies or be stunned by complex sites where the corals are stacked up on top of one another like miniature cities with thousands of fish swirling around.
Opal Reef is the perfect spot for snorkelling as most parts are shallow and its crescent shape provides a lot of protection from the prevailing wind.
Being the first operator to start visiting this reef in 1986, Wavelength Reef Cruises has exclusive permission to access the most fantastic sites on this reef.
The company ventures out to 17 sites across 3 different outer reefs with the main reef being Opal.
Ray Ban
One of these beautiful sites is called “Ray Ban” and is situated half way up Middle Opal.
Jenny Edmondson from Wavelength Reef Cruises said they love to bring visitors to this site to meet a famous inhabitant; Nemo the clown anemone fish.
“You will also find spine cheek and Great Barrier Reef anemone fish, all within a few metres of each other,” she said.
“This site boasts really high coral diversity, brilliantly coloured giant clams and clouds of colourful damselfish.
“We have an all marine biologist crew on board who are in the water with our guests to help you find Nemo and to point out interesting features.”
Mojo
Another beautiful site at Opal Reef where Wavelength ventures out to is Mojo.
This reef is very close to the gap between Middle Opal and North Opal and benefits from the huge water flow through the gap.
“There are gullies full of blue stag-horn coral and blue chromic fish with roaming schools of red bass and paddle tail snappers,” Ms Edmondson said.
“The site also has frequent visits from turtles and reef sharks with colourful wrasses and butterfly fish grazing on the reef top.”
Bashful Bommie
As the name suggests, Bashful Bommie is an outcrop of coral reef that is higher than the surrounding platform of the reef.
This site at on South Opal is meeting of two very different underwater environments: on the one side, the reef edge stretches to the south with perfect shelter for some of the smaller coral dwelling fish, while the other side is a deeper ocean channel leading to the big blue and creating the perfect environment for larger pelagics.
Species found here include a large resident Maori wrasse, large schools of red bass and marauding Spanish mackerel hunting the schooling baitfish.
For more information about Wavelength Reef Cruises click here.