The Ribbon Reefs are a series of long, narrow reefs on the outer Great Barrier Reef, accessible only by liveaboard from Cairns or Port Douglas. Nine sites in our database cover a broad depth range, from very shallow reef tops to walls descending beyond forty metres, with terrain including pinnacles, caves, drift dives, and coral gardens. Water temperatures remain warm year-round, dropping only to the mid-twenties in the cooler months. Visibility is frequently excellent, often reaching thirty metres or more. Species recorded here include common minke whale, whitetip and blacktip reef shark, Napoleon wrasse, ornate wobbegong, pygmy seahorse, hairy frogfish, and peacock mantis shrimp.
Monthly water temperature across Ribbon Reefs's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperatures sit in the upper twenties for much of the year and drop to the mid-twenties only at the coolest point in winter. Because the Ribbon Reefs are exposed and remote, conditions vary with the season and the specific site, with some demanding drift dives requiring advanced buoyancy management.
Water temperature around Ribbon Reefs ranges from about 25°C in July to 29°C in March, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 29°C) a rash guard or 3mm shorty is comfortable in Ribbon Reefs; in the coldest months (about 25°C) step up to a 3mm full suit.
Fin maps 9 sites in Ribbon Reefs (9 scuba diving sites).
Across Ribbon Reefs's dive sites, May, June, July, August, September and October are most often reported as the best months to visit.
7 more sites to explore
