The dive
You start in a sheltered coral garden on the edge of the lagoon, then round the corner and drift along a steep wall covered in corals, sea whips, sea fans and feather stars.
Giant clams are everywhere, along with steephead parrotfish, the most colourful of their family. Big schools of yellowtail fusiliers are common, and the deep drop-off raises your chances of meeting grey reef sharks. On the sand, look for pineapple sea cucumbers, which grow to 60 cm. Just off the reef edge is a rice bubble coral 500 to 600 years old.
Seasons and snorkelling
- Spawning: in spring (September to November), around the new moon, big mixed schools of surgeonfish, wrasse, parrotfish and damselfish can crowd the reef crest to spawn. You need some luck to see it.
- Visibility: rarely less than good, 10 to 30 metres.
- Snorkellers and novices: the lagoon and reef flat are excellent, with a large colony of orange-finned anemonefish.
How to dive it
You dive Agincourt Reef on a day trip from Port Douglas. Certified divers get up to three guided dives at three different sites, with a full briefing before each one. Sites are chosen on the day to suit the weather and tides, so we can’t promise a particular site.
Dive it with us
Port Douglas boat dives
Agincourt’s outer-reef bommies: walls, sharks and the big pelagics.
See the tripWhere it is
What you might see
- Loggerhead turtleThe big-headed turtle of the reef, with a crushing beak for crabs and shellfish. Regulars at Coral Gardens and Milln Reef.
- Grey reef sharkThe classic reef shark: a stocky grey patroller of walls, drop-offs and current points, often in groups.
- ParrotfishFrom the crunching schools of bumpheads to the sleeping bags of mucus at night, parrotfish are the reef’s builders and gardeners.
- AnemonefishThe clownfish of the reef, living in a sea anemone that would sting anything else. Nearly every site has a family.
- Giant clamMetre-wide shells with mantles of electric blue, green and purple, some of them a century old.
Nearby sites
- Reef dive · Agincourt Reef Barracuda BommieA deep-water pinnacle on the sheltered side of a small ribbon reef at Agincourt Reef 2, right on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s one of the most popular sites on the Agincourt trips.22 m
- Reef dive · Agincourt Reef Gary’s GutA wall on the outer edge of Agincourt Reef 4 that plunges from 5 metres to 40 metres. It averages about 20 metres, so it suits Open Water divers, and it’s a favourite with repeat divers.40 m
- Reef dive · Agincourt Reef Harry’s BommieA garden reef among the pinnacles and patch reefs west of Agincourt Reef 4. It’s a favourite with dive instructors.16 m
- Reef dive · Agincourt Reef Horse ShoeA patch reef between Agincourt Reefs 2 and 3, in an area of strong tidal movement. You can drift it or dive it from the mooring.20 m
