Brisbane is frequently overlooked as a base to dive from. Visiting divers take one look at the brown waters of the Brisbane River and automatically assume there is no good diving in the area. However, Brisbane has much to offer, rich offshore reefs, several shipwrecks and an impressive variety of marine life. Brisbane's dive sites are located off Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands, in Moreton Bay. These dive sites are not far offshore, but the water is reasonably clear all year-round. Blue Zone Scuba operates out of north Brisbane and divers have a wide choice of day trips and live-aboard that we can book you on.

Moreton Island- Many wonderful dive sites are located off Moreton Island. Two large artificial reefs lie along the landward side on the Island, while along the seaward side are a number of shipwrecks, submerged reefs and a true coral reef that is exposed at low tide.

Curtin Artificial Reef - Since 1968, members of the Underwater Research Group of Queensland have been sinking large vessels, cars, tires and pontoons to create the Curtin Artificial Reef. Today the reef pulsates with marine life - tropical fish, gropers, stingrays, eagle rays, trevally and other schooling fish. The reef is just off Cowan Cowan on the western side of Moreton Island. The first wreck to be sunk was the Amsterdam Barge on the 12th August 1968 and the last wreck to go down was the Hustler on the 13th September 1998. Between these two dates a total of 32 ships, car bodies, buoys, concrete pipes and tyres have been laid to rest on the reef. The largest is the wreck of the Bremer being 50 metres in length. The Bremer was a coal barge last used by the Riverside Coal Company. The smallest is the Solace that was a Ferro concrete yacht measuring 10 metres in length. Other wrecks on the reef include two old whale chasers built in Britain in 1929 and last used in 1968 by the Whale Products company who used to work from Tangalooma. The marine life that now live and visit the reef can only be described as amazing. Schools of barracuda, and large Groper are a common site. Wobbygong sharks are in abundance with rays gliding past at every turn. King fish and Trevally can be seen on almost every dive. Depth ranges from about 16 metres to 27 metres (on the sand) and the tops of some wrecks are only 12 metres deep. This allows all divers to enjoy the reef in safety. Most of the wrecks have been cleared of obstructions and can be safely entered and explored, as you will be amazed by the sheer size of these vessels.

NOTE: This dive site is best dived at high or low tide although with care is a great drift dive.

Tangalooma Wrecks - Fifteen vessels have been sunk on the landward side of Moreton Island to form a break-wall for small boats. These are the Tangalooma Wrecks, which provide good diving in depths from 2-10m. Even in this shallow water, the wrecks are fun to dive and attract an amazing amount of marine life, including wobbegongs, trevally, kingfish, yellowtail and lots of tropical fish.

Flinders Reef - Located north of Moreton Island, Flinders Reef is Brisbane's only true coral reef about 5 kilometres north west of Cape Moreton. It is near the northern end of a chain of shoals that runs from Roberts Shoal in the south, through Brennan Shoal and Smith rock then onto Hutchinson Shoal at its northern end. More than 175 species of fish have been identified and at least 112 coral species have been recorded at Flinders Reef. The diving is good all around the reef on walls, gutters, caves and pinnacles scattered in depths from 3-28m. Lush coral growths of staghorn, brain, plate and many other hard coral species, as well as soft corals, gorgonians, sponges and sea whips are found in the shallows. You will find plenty of reef fish, and a good range of invertebrates, turtles, stingrays, wobbegong sharks and the occasional manta ray.

Arizona Cave- North of Flinders Reef - Max Depth: 40 Mtrs Average Depth: 25 Mtrs Average Viz: 20 Mtrs Diver Rating: Advanced Found as a result of an ongoing commitment of "not just diving the same old sites", Arizona Cave was located in Jan.2004 . The site consist of rocky gullies overhangs and gorges. Two caves have so far been located at the site, one measuring 15metres deep. Manta Rays have been seen on some dives. if you want tro see something different, ask to be taken here

Cherubs Cave- Moreton Island - Max Depth: 30 Mtrs Average Depth: 25 Mtrs Average Viz: 20 Mtrs Diver Rating: Advanced A small concrete cherub used to mark the entrance to this fantastic hidden cave.  Cherubs Cave is one of the true delights of the Brisbane Dive scene. The cave roughly measures 20 by 15 metres in the accessible section and the same again in a nearby inaccessible section. A torch is necessary here as is the knowledge that if you enter the cave you will be in a true overhead environment with its inherent dangers. The entire area is surrounded by rocky gullies and smaller caves and when there is a small current running the pelagic life can be spectacular. Grey Nurse Sharks love the area and even the mighty Great White has been spotted here [only once][ and it was only a small one] The Cherub has been on vacation for a while now, last seen near the engine of the the St Paul , 6 miles to the north

Hendersons Rock - Moreton Island - Max Depth: 33 Mtrs Average Depth: 20 Mtrs Average Viz: 20 Mtrs Diver Rating: Open Water This is one of Brisbane's best and least frequented dive sites. Henderson Rock is an extensive granite outcrop and gutter system on the ocean side of Moreton Island. The terrain is spectacular with deep ledges, overhangs and caves to explore. In the winter you can expect sightings of Grey Nurse Sharks as they occasionally school up in the main gutter to the north of the shallow rock. Other species of shark like Gummy Sharks, Leopard Sharks and Wobbegong also frequent the area. For the underwater hunter it is worth noting that Ornate Crayfish are quite prolific here. Current can occasionally run from the north, bringing the pelagic in to feed by the rock

Gotham City - Brisbane - Max Depth: 37 Mtrs Average Depth: 30 Mtrs Average Viz: 20 Mtrs Diver Rating: Advanced This is the latest hot spot in Brisbane, just discovered after a recreational fisherman suggested we check this spot out as a possible wreck site we were looking for. Gotham City is a giant Granite Rock extending 15 metres up from the sandy bottom in 37 metres up to about 22 metres. The site regularly has better viz than other sites in the area [don’t know why] and has a massive abundance of life swarming around it. Geographically it looks like a giant fridge lying on its side on the bottom, about 40 metres by 25 metres wide. Sheer cliffs lift 15 metres from the bottom on three sides, with a few shallow caves about the place. The site was actually originally called Emporers Tomb because of the abundance of Red Emporer here, but a typo had it renamed Gotham City in the ships logbook and the name stuck....in a nutshell, the site Rocks...get on out and do it.....

Hutchison Wall - Hutchinson Shoal - Max Depth: 30 Mtrs Average Depth: 25 Mtrs Average Viz: 20 Mtrs Diver Rating: Advanced Hutchinson Shoal is an extremely large dollop of granite tossed into the air a few trillion years ago by the nearby [now extinct] Glasshouse Mountains {chain of volcanoes] It forms the northernmost extreme of a chain of similar lumps of granite stretching up from north Stradbroke Island. Along the western edge of this shoal lies the wall, rising from a depth of around 30 metres to about 9 or 10m. Current usually runs from north to south but as it is fairly slight, the dive can be done as a drift or [if you’re feeling energetic ]a stationary dive! The wall has large and extremely deep overhangs at its base and these form the home of crayfish, crayfish and more crayfish, not to mention the odd predator of crayfish. Large schools of agro pelagic cruise up and down constantly and the whole place adds up to one smashing dive.

Owen Stanley Range - South of Flinders Reef - Max Depth: 25 Mtrs Average Depth: 22 Mtrs Average Viz: 20 Mtrs Diver Rating: Advanced Cliff face running approximately 30 metres packed with crays , turtles and shovel nose sharks. A great option if there is plenty of current about as the site tends not to be prone to too much flow.

Cementco aka Crusader 2 - Near Flinders Reef , Brisbane - Diesel Powered Transport - Max Depth: 28 Mtrs Average Depth: 22 Mtrs Average Viz: 15 Mtrs Diver Rating: Advanced Construction: Steel Sank In: 1984 As part of the Pacific war effort, the Crusader 2 was commissioned by the Australian Army in 1944 to carry heavy equipment and supplies to the troops stationed in New Guinea. After a short but successful career [ie. Not sunk] the Crusader was pensioned off to the Qld Cement and Lime Co. to carry dead coral and sand from its mining operations in Moreton Bay, up the river to Brisbane. In 1984, it was decided she had made her final journey to the reaches of Brisbane, a long and distinguished sojourn above the water had come to an end, and a new one below the surface was about to begin. Wreckers towed the Crusader out to Flinders Reef, north of Cape Moreton, intending to sink the ship close to the northern end of the reef as a kind of extension if you like. The Crusader was to have the last laugh however, springing a leak before she was positioned and sinking about 400 meters NE of Flinders Reef.

St.Paul - Brisbane - Steamer - Max Depth: 42 Mtrs Average Depth: 40 Mtrs Average Viz: 25 Mtrs Diver Rating: Deep Construction: Iron Sank In: 1914 In the late evening of March the 26th 1914, Captain George Corree, master of the Steam Ship Saint Paul approached Cape Moreton to the north-east of Brisbane. Conditions were fine, with a very slight sea running and good visibility. A study of the weather chart from that fine Autumn evening would have an observer believe that a disaster at sea was almost impossible. The steam powered freighter of some 1660 tons was inbound from New Caledonia to Brisbane with 2800 tons of Chromium ore in her holds. The ore was intended for Europe and was to have been transferred to the SS Port Lincoln upon her arrival at the Brisbane wharves. At around eleven that evening Captain Corree ordered that a request for a pilot vessel be signalled to Cape Moreton Light Station, and that the ship be slowed to half speed to await its arrival The Cape Moreton Light Station first sighted the Saint Paul about 9 miles east northeast of the Cape and a short time later was able to identify her by Morse signal. It was established that the Pilot Boat Llewellyn would soon be underway to assist her passage into Brisbane, and was making steam shortly after eleven o'clock. Moments after these transmissions were completed, the heavily laden freighter struck Smiths Rock. The ship's inertia relentlessly carried her forward against the jagged stone ripping and buckling her iron belly plates. By 12.40am the Llewellyn had arrived on scene and signalled to Cape Moreton that the Saint Paul had gone down. Reports from the survivors suggest that the damaged ship sank within minutes, however the fact that the ship now lies nearly 1000 metres to the east of Smiths Rock would indicate that it took some time for the flooding to be realized. Eleven people were rescued from the sea that morning, tragically however, 18 had lost their lives, including that of the Captain. It is interesting to note that almost all of the Engineering staff were amongst those saved. A few years earlier when the RMS Titanic sank, all of the engineers had perished. Perhaps knowing this the engine room crew of the Saint Paul were quick to assure that they did not meet the same fate by making an early escape. The fact that so many lives were lost so close to a major port while good conditions prevailed outraged many people. No doubt that same outrage prompted the decision later that year to replace the black unlit buoy which marked Smiths Rock at the time of the tragedy, with a gas fired lit buoy ,showing a light which would be seen from up to twelve miles distant. The wreck of the Saint Paul now lies between 38 and 43 metres of water on a gentle sand slope due east of Smiths Rock. She sits in an upright position, favouring her port side, with the bow pointing westward to the rock that sent her there. Although deep enough to escape substantial damage from storms and cyclones , nearly 90 years on the sea floor have taken their toll on her remains. The superstructure and most of the hull plates have now rusted away, leaving the wreckage of a once fine ship collapsed on the sea floor. From a divers perspective this is a very challenging dive .The Saint Paul lies in an exposed area of sea, at the maximum depth limit for recreational “no decompression diving''. With an air no decompression limit of approximately eight minutes , its not possible to fully appreciate this wreck in just one dive. The wreck itself provides plenty to see if you take your time, from encrusted deck winches and lift raft anchors to nuggets of chromium ore the careful observer is well rewarded . . The wreck is alive with marine life and although it is common practice to dive her early in the day to escape the afternoon onshore winds, the life is more prevalent in the early evening when large schools of snapper and yellowtail kingfish seem to be settling in for the night .Underneath deck plates and around the bases of the engine and boilers , large estuary cod can be found lurking in the shadows . Like many dive sites the stakes go up when a slight current is prevalent, bringing these huge cod out and above the wreck to compete with the pelagic for any food coming down current . Visibility on the Saint Paul can range from 5 metres to 50 metres,

Aarhus - Brisbane - Barque - Max Depth: 20 Mtrs Average Depth: 18 Mtrs Average Viz: 25 Mtrs Diver Rating: Open Water Construction: Iron Sank In: 1894 The Aarhus sank in early 1894 after a 122 day sail from New York, carrying a cargo of kerosene, glassware, wire bails and alarm clocks. She was an iron barque of around 50 metres in length and although not a lot remains of her hull structure, there is still plenty to keep you occupied for a few dives. Always heaps of life and after a big south-easterly blow, much of the original cargo can become exposed for a few days before filling back in. Its amazing to find 115 year old wooden crates still intact, still holding the glassware they were designed to protect.  Much of the timber artifacts under the sand have been preserved due to having been drenched in kerosene all those years ago. Indeed the Aarhus is considered of Australia’s first major marine oil spills!

Marietta Dal - Smiths Rock, Cape Moreton - Liberty Ship - Max Depth: 14 Mtrs Average Depth: 8 Mtrs Average Viz: 20 Mtrs Diver Rating: Open Water Construction: Steel Sank In: 1950 The Marietta Dal was the final major victim of Smiths Rock at least till this point in time. She was a "Liberty Ship", a ship built very quickly after WW2 to help facilitate the restoration of the worlds economy, usually not built to last forever, just to get the job done. She hit Smiths Rock in the early 50's with a load of tractors, bulldozers and other cargo, and she has been smashed to smithereens ever since. You can still see some of the farm machinery lying about the sea floor, and her giant prop shaft, about 50 metres long is quite a site. The wreck is an easy, safe and interesting dive for all levels of diver as long as there is no current around, so like all the Smiths Rock wrecks, do it on slack water or an upcoming tide never an outgoing tide. Surge is often an issue here

Smith Rock: Three large pinnacles, narrow caves and swim-threwes.