Our Reef Locations
Tusa Reef Tours takes you to some of the most captivating dive sites and snorkel locations in the Outer Reef. With both Tusa Reef Tours’ exclusive moorings and beautiful shared moorings, we’ve got it all covered! Our team will carefully select a reef location each day to make sure you see the best vibrant marine life, mesmerising coral formations, and diverse underwater environments based on the day’s weather conditions. Get ready to be amazed by the best snorkel and dive experiences the Great Barrier Reef has to offer. Come dive into the world beneath the waves with Tusa Reef Tours!
Pretty Patches
If you’re looking for a serene location to appreciate a diverse array of soft and hard corals, Pretty Patches is an excellent option. While you navigate the tranquil waters of the reef, be sure to keep an eye out for the impressive Staghorn Corals, colourful sea fans, unique spaghetti corals, voluminous leather mushroom corals, and the visually stunning brain corals that are constantly expanding.
Pretty Patches 1, 2 and 3
Pretty Patches Reef is a lesser-known snorkel and dive location in the Great Barrier Reef, home to flourishing underwater forests that span across three separate ‘patches’. Located between Arlington Reef and Michaelmas Cay, Tusa Reef Tours is one of only two companies with a permit to access this reef. Pretty Patches and the surrounding reefs contain breathtaking shallow lagoons where some of the highest marine diversity in the world can be found.
Michaelmas Reef
At Michaelmas Reef, divers can take pleasure in exploring stunning coral gardens and tranquil waters that are ideal for both snorkelling and diving. The secure haven provides a sheltered sandy lagoon that is protected from the wind in any weather, and the coral gardens are conveniently within reach.
Banana Bommie
A well-protected patch of coral sits behind a large sand cay. Turtles are a common sight along with large schools of grazing parrot and surgeonfish. Banana Bommie is also a good place to see reef sharks and even manta rays.
Hastings Reef
Experience the wonder and majesty of Hastings Reef, a stunning Great Barrier Reef location that promises a memorable experience for snorkellers and divers of all levels. Immerse yourself in the shallow reefs and be amazed by the vibrant corals, schools of fish, clams, and even the occasional turtle or Manta Ray.
The Fish Bowl
A popular site for snorkellers and divers alike. A circular wall of coral encloses an area with a multitude of fish life, lots of colourful damsels, anemones & clownfish, yellow-tailed fusiliers, spangled emperor, and the famous resident Wally (the Māori wrasse), the beds of giant clams and forests of colourful corals with staghorns in the shallows. Dolphins and Manta Rays are among the occasional visitors at the Fish Bowl.
Saxon Reef
Located between Norman Reef and Hasting Reefs, Saxon Reef is home to some of the most vibrant marine species in the area. Covering an area of approximately 1.9 square kilometres, it is one of the less crowded diving spots in the region, providing an opportunity to explore the underwater world without distractions. It is an ideal location for divers and snorkellers who wish to experience the full range of wonders that the Great Barrier Reef has to offer.
Twin Peaks
As the name suggests this dive site circles two bommies with a narrow swim-through and you’ll see a large tree trunk wedged between the peaks. Moray eels are often seen in holes around the mooring blocks. Pygmy seahorses can be a rare find among the seagrass on the edge of the coral, and there are often schools of wild band fusiliers, humbug damsels and lots of different nudibranchs.