Tropical Cruise and Dive

Wheeler Reef - visibility and biodiversity. They travel forty-eight miles north-east from Townsville and the sea turns bright aquamarine; a shining sand cay signals their arrival - Wheeler Reef! A platform reef perched close to the continental shelf drop-off, Wheeler is truly one of the best examples of marine biodiversity in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This isolated place has long been protected from fishing or collecting so it is in pristine condition. The average visibility of 30 metres and depths ranging from two metres to over 30 metres make this reef suitable for everyone, from first-time snorkellers through to experienced divers looking for a challenge.

The Tropical Reef Adventure Experience: Young people from four to 70 years old will love their experience on our top quality purpose-built snorkel and dive boat, Jazz II. With limited passenger numbers and a high crew to passenger ratio, the atmosphere on-board is friendly, personal and involving.

Who can dive at Wheeler Reef? Snorkellers and divers, in fact anyone who is medically fit can dive at Wheeler Reef. Divers having less than six logged dives are required to be accompanied by our Dive Master on guided dives.

If you haven’t dived before that’s not a problem. As long as you do not suffer from a medical condition that would preclude diving, one of their experienced instructors can show you the basics and take you for one or two PADI Discover Scuba Dives.

Affiliation:

PADI

Training Level:

Up to Dive Master

Boat Description:

Jazz II is a near new 53 foot Westcoaster monohull. It is Townsville's newest, fastest and biggest purpose-built day dive boat.

The huge, unclutterred aft deck provides heaps of space for 28 divers. The flybridge seats 8.

Sites Visited:

Wheeler Reef is a platform Reef located at the edge of the continental shelf drop-off, 48 miles north-east of Townsville. Wheeler Reef was the only reef in the Central Section of the Great Barrier Reef to be set aside and protected seventeen years ago. These set-asides led to the current Representative Areas Program which now protects over 60% of the Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Because Wheeler Reef has been protected from fishing and gathering for so long it is still environmentally intact. The marine life there is spectacular and the coral is in excellent condition with an exceptionally high coverage rate.

Wheeler Reef is a circular reef structure having a small sand cay at its centre. It provides shallower, safe areas for novice divers as well as more challenging and deeper walls, swim-throughs and canyons.