Dive Review of Lady Elliott Island in
Australia/Great Barriar Reef

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Lady Elliott Island: "Georgeous coral cay where the snorkeling was better than the diving", Sep, 2019, by William Parks, MO, US ( Reviewer 4 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 11357 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Wanting to dive several days but not on a live aboard, Lady Elliot Island was the perfect choice based on my research on Undercurrent. After 3 nights enjoying Hervey Bay, whale watching, biking the shoreline, and exploring Fraser Island, we flew to Lady Elliot Island on the island resort's own small plane. Round trip is included with stays of two days or more. We stayed 5 nights. Our reef front cottage, part of a triplex, was comfortable and clean. We looked out at the lagoon that surrounds most of the island from our porch. Breakfast and dinner is included, lunch is ala carte. The food was quite excellent. Snorkeling in the lagoon is only possible for the two hours on either side of high tide when the lagoon still not more than about 4 feet deep and it was gorgeous. This was the best snorkeling ever. The diving was good too, but it was a bit of work, as it may be normal for Australian diving, in terms of having to assemble and carry your tank and equipment. Although all the staff was very helpful and friendly, divers are expected to pick up your tank, assemble your equipment, lug it to the flat bed trailer which was pulled behind the open vehicle that shuttled us the few minutes to the other side of the island. There you put on your equipment and walked down the beach fully outfitted to the dive boat that was often rocking and rollling as we shuffled up the ramp. My wife asked for help and one of the divemasters carried her equipment and helped her put it on while on the boat to avoid straining her back. No problem. We rented all of our gear and it was quite satisfactory. The rides to the dive sites were never more than 15 minutes. The coral was lush. The critters were plentiful enough. No sign of reef damage. Saw sharks, rays including a few Manta Rays. Certainly the reef appeared denser, healthier there than in the Caribbean. But the ease of walking fifty feet from our porch and dropping into the lagoon to explore seemingly endless coral, critters, rays and turtles, made the snorkeling the underwater star of the trip. Topside throughout the days, whales could be seen spouting and breaching beyond the far edge of the lagoon. Lady Elliott has great naturalist programs throughout the day. This was the most amazing beach/diving/snorkeling place I've ever been.
Websites	Lady Elliott Island [same]
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Cozumel and Mexican Yucatán, Hawaii
Closest Airport	Airstrip on Lady Elliott Island	Getting There	See LEI website: https://ladyelliot.com.au/getting-here/
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	-°F / -°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	50-70 Ft/ 15-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Nitrox was temporarily not available
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	1 or 2	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	> 2
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Lady Elliott Island in Australia/Great Barriar Reef

Lady Elliott Island: "Georgeous coral cay where the snorkeling was better than the diving", Sep, 2019,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Lady Elliott Island in
Australia/Great Barriar Reef