Scuba Diving
A marine wonderland
Although part of New South Wales, Lord Howe Island is separated from the mainland by over 600 kilometres of deep ocean. It is often described as Australia's most beautiful Island, surrounded by the world's most southern coral reefs.
Marine creatures fill this slice of sea with every colour and shape, coral being a major contributor with its hard, soft, fanlike, spongy (bryozoans), squirty (ascidians), budding vivid red and blacks.
However, it is not merely decorative and functions as both shelter and food for the reef life such as Black cod, Parrot-fish, Moorish idols, Blue Angelfish, Butterfly fish, and three types of Moray Eels: Lord Howe Island, Aoseic and Abbott's, Turtles, Nudibranchs etc. Pelagic fauna like Kingfish, Surgeonfish, Tuna, Salmon, Whale sharks and Galapagos also settle in the deeper underwater terrain - drop-offs, walls, caves, swim-throughs, gutters - that add an obstacle course element to the typical dive sights that are:
Gower's pinnacle
Located north of the Admiralty Islets, this dive is for experienced divers only! The top of the pinnacle is 24 metres with the bottom closer to 40. Here deep gutters are filled with pelagics and large Black Coral Trees, whilst huge soft corals and large gorgonia fans frequent the drop-offs.
Rupert's Reef
Although this is also near the Admiralty Islets, this is a great dive for all levels of experience. A crevice filled with Pelagics and coral runs through the middle of the reef whose top is in 10 metres of water, reaching 23 metres on the sand.
Malabar/Landslide
A series of reefs ranging in depths from 10-20 metres is on the northern side of the island. As well as being home to a wide variety of sea fauna and flora these reefs include tunnels and swim-throughs to explore.
See Map – Lord Howe Island Dive Sites - click here
Dive School
Howea Divers and Pro Dive are both locally owned and operated dive schools offering hiring facilities as well as a full range of aquatic activities:
- Boat Dives to Lord Howe's premier dive sites
- Boat Dives to Ball's Pyramid (weather permitting)
- Scuba Diving at Ned's Beach
- PADI Open Water Dive Course with a PADI Master Trainer
- Advanced and Specialty courses
- Reef Walks
See Lord Howe Marine Life. Learn about our special Lord Howe Eco Dive Adventure where you can gain your PADI Underwater Naturalist Speciality Dive Certification - click here.