Cod Hole
Cod Hole, at the far northern end of Ribbon Reef No. 10 east of Lizard Island, is probably the best known dive site on the Great Barrier Reef. It is named for the potato cod that live here: weighing roughly 6 to 30 kg, they are big, bold and have been fed by divers for about 20 years. The mooring sits on a bommie at about 10 m; the usual dive is on the mooring on the western side of the point, with an alternative drift on an incoming current starting just outside Cormorant Pass at 20 to 30 m. Hundreds of barracuda in several schools gather along the saddle between the main reef and the offshoot. GBRMPA lists the locality as a Sensitive Location (important dwarf minke whale habitat) with special requirements. Located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: Green (no-take) zones allow diving without a permit, but fishing and collecting are prohibited; tourism operators hold the park permits and the environmental management charge is passed on through the operator. Check the current zoning map before any non-operator visit.
Facts
- Region: Great Barrier Reef North
- Area: Northern Ribbon Reefs & Lizard Island
- Depth: 10–30 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: moderate
- Type: reef, drift, wall
- Coordinates: -14.6639, 145.6634
- Highlights: potato cod, barracuda schools, Cormorant Pass, Ribbon Reef 10
- Tips: Reached only by liveaboard or fly-dive trips from Cairns/Port Douglas. Follow the briefing and the site's special requirements; do not touch or feed the fish yourself. Dwarf minke whales visit the Ribbon Reefs around June-July.