DIVE THE COD HOLE

Cod Hole is one of the best known dive sites in the world and is located on Ribbon Reef #10, at the top end of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, north of Cooktown. Named after the groups of huge - but friendly - potato cod (Epinephelus tukula) that live there, Cod Hole should be on any serious diver's list of must-see sites. Click to open an interactive map of the Great Barrier Reef, showing the location of Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs. NOTE: WHEN THE MAP OPENS IN A NEW WINDOW, YOU WILL NEED TO CLICK ON THE MAP AND DRAG DOWN TO FIND COD HOLE AND THE RIBBON REEFS AT THE FAR NORTH OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF.

This string of pristine Ribbon Reef offers a variety of excellent dive opportunities. Coral pinnacles and dropoffs attract large pelagic fish and a wide variety of marine life, and visitors to this unique region will find superb scuba diving at Cod Hole all year round.

Liveaboard dive trips depart to the Ribbon Reefs and Cod Hole from Cairns several times a week.

The potato cod at Cod Hole weigh up to thirty kilograms, and scuba divers can still watch them being hand fed on every trip. These giants have been fed by divers since internationally recognised underwater photographers Ron and Valerie Taylor publicised the site thirty years ago. Today though, due to concerns about their health, the feeding is handled only by the divemasters on the trip.

Potato Cod and Maori Wrasse at Cod Hole have become accustomed to scuba divers, and will approach quite closely, providing an excellent photo opportunity. Underwater cameras are generally available for hire on any boats travelling to Cod Hole, but passengers who plan in advance will save money - and get a better quality camera - if you rent a digital underwater camera in Cairns before you embark.

Due to the distance from the popular embarkation points of Cairns and Port Douglas, liveaboard dive trips to Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs are usually four or five days, and offer anywhere from 10 to 14 dives. Getting to Cod Hole from Cairns usually involves an overnight boat trip, but it is possible to fly one way or the other, transferring at either Cooktown or Lizard Island. Some companies offer a low level scenic flight at either the begining or end of your Cod Hole liveaboard as a standard inclusion.

Diving at Cod Hole is rated as intermediate and mostly at a depth of 10 to 22 metres. Besides the potato cod, divers will likely see Maori wrasse, red bass, emperor and a plethora of other marine life including anemones, whitetip reef sharks, giant clams and feather stars.

Its remote location makes for excellent dive conditions, since the area around Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs is out of the reach of the many day boats that leave from Cairns and Port Douglas, and is therefore much less heavily visited. The reefs are not disturbed by human presence, and also visibility is said to be consistently better than areas of the Great Barrier Reef that are closer to cities and farmlands.

SWIM AND SNORKEL WITH DWARF MINKE WHALES AT COD HOLE

During the winter months (particularly June and July) dozens of Dwarf Minke Whales migrate to the area of the Great Barrier Reef around Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs. Cairns diveboat operators offer dedicated Minke Whale trips between May and July.

Only recognized as a unique species of whale as recently as the 1980's, these cousins of the minke whales have a distinct color pattern, and reside exclusivley in Southern oceans.

Snorkellers who are approached by these curious and friendly creatures may find the tag 'dwarf' to be a misnomer, as these giant mammals can still weigh up to five tonnes and reach nearly eight metres in length. It may be reassuring to keep in mind that Dwarf Minke Whales are toothless and feed on krill, and small fish and crustaceans.

The Australian Government has in place a strict set of guidelines, within which all whale watching operators must conduct their activities. For more information about government regulations concerning whale watching, please click here.

DIGITAL UNDERWATER CAMERA RENTAL

Unless you have your own dive camera, you will need to rent a digital underwater camera from Cairns to capture your once in a lifetime experience of scuba diving the Cod Hole or swimming and snorkelling with Dwarf Minke Whales on the Ribbon Reefs.

Disposable underwater cameras offer poor results, and once the high cost of processing is included, are far more expensive per photograph than renting a top quality digital underwater camera. It is usually possible to rent a digital underwater camera on board the dive boat, but they can be expensive and are not always good quality.*see comparison below

The most economical option is to have your digital underwater camera delivered to you before your departure.

'Cairns Unlimited' digital underwater camera hire have been renting digital underwater cameras in Cairns since 2007. Prices - including delivery and a free DVD - start at under $29 per day on a four day trip (much less than you would pay on board!) and drop to just $25 per day on a seven day trip. That is for a top-of-the-range 14.7 Megapixel Canon Powershot G10, with dedicated underwater mode, Canon's patented 'Image Stabilization', Macro mode for sharp closeups... and enough memory to take over 1000 high resolution photos, not to mention high quality video with sound!

One of the leading operators of Cairns liveaboard dive trips to Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs offers underwater cameras for hire through a third party company for $150. The camera is a 10 Megapixel Canon Powershot A1000, a budget priced 'entry level' camera which retailed new at just $199, and - according to Canon's own website - does not feature a dedicated underwater mode. For just $135, you could have a flagship 14.7 Megapixel Canon Powershot G10 for the same period...

FEATURE	'rent on board'	Shop in town	CAIRNS UNLIMITED
Underwater mode	No	Yes	Yes
Full manual option	No	No	Yes
RAW mode option	No	No	Yes
Zoom	4.0 x optical	3.8 x optical	5.0 x optical
Batteries	AA	Low capacity lithium	High capacity lithium
Processor	'old' DIGIC III	new DIGIC IV	new DIGIC IV
LCD screen	2.5"	2.7"	3.0"
Retail price when new	$199	$199	$599
Price for five days hire	$150	$165	$135