North Ribbon Reef 5
North Ribbon Reef 5 is a drift along the wall at the gap between Ribbon Reefs No. 5 and 6, a wide entrance to the inside of the Great Barrier Reef, about 132 km from Port Douglas. The reef is a sheer wall dropping to about 35 m and sloping out to 45 m or more, with gorgonias and sea whips; a cave sits at about 15 m and the depth at the foot of the wall comes up to about 20 m along the dive. A school of double-headed parrotfish passes here. The position is the dive start point given in a single trip report. 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: Southern Ribbon Reefs
- Depth: 15–45 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: strong
- Type: wall, drift
- Coordinates: -15.3302, 145.7827 (approximate)
- Highlights: vertical wall, cave at 15 m, double-headed parrotfish, gorgonians
- Tips: A real drift: plan for a current along the wall and a boat pick-up; deep start, experienced divers only.