Ribbon Reef Liveaboard - Ribbon Reefs Photo Gallery

The Ribbon Reefs are the long, skinny reefs that lie between Lizard Island and Cooktown on the edge of the continental shelf of the northern GBR. This is a great place to get those classic GBR images of turtles, sea snakes, cuttlefish, scorpionfish, and many species of anemonefish in bright, colorful anemones. The dives are relatively easy and the area can be visited all year around in most weather conditions as the outer reef acts as a barrier to big ocean swells, making it comfortable for vessels.

Many of the dive sites are narrow pinnacles that rise from around 100 feet to just a few feet at the surface. Pinnacles such as Steve’s Bommie, Lighthouse Bommie and Pixie Pinnacle are favorites of macro shooters. Peacock mantis shrimp, leafy scorpionfish, Rhinopias, anemonefish, pipefish, nudibranchs, stonefish, and longnose hawkfish are all easy to find and photograph.
On Ribbon Reef #10, you’ll find one of the world’s best-known dive sites—Cod Hole. As the name suggests, this is the hangout of Australia’s famed potato cod, or giant Queensland grouper, and after years of being fed by divemasters, these heavyweight fish are very willing photo subjects.

Discover the reef like never before on our 5 Night GBR & Ribbon Reefs Expedition — a journey crafted from over 30 years of exploration by Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, taking you deep into the heart of the Great Barrier Reef’s most spectacular and storied dive sites aboard Spoilsport.