Diving in Great Barrier Reef

Ribbon Reefs: Steve's Bommie

Depending on who does the dive briefing, the mythical 'Steve' that the bommie is named for, was a guide, a free-diver, a customer or a chef. You may be told that his death was the result of any number of circumstances, most commonly a tragic motorbike accident or shallow-water black-out. His name appears on the plaque at around 25 metres below on the bommie, lest we forget. The word 'bommie' is said to come from 'bombora', an aboriginal term for, unsurprisingly, a submerged pinnacle.

Located to the south west of Ribbon Reef #3's south end, Steve's Bommie is an isolated pinnacle that rises from 30m to just 5m below the surface. It is home to a huge amount of diverse marine life with large numbers of trevally, snappers, goat fish and fusiliers, a common sight in the blue around the pinnacle.

The pinnacle itself is heaven for macro divers with an abundance of nudibranchs and pipefish. Your dive plan will start off with a descent to the base of the pinnacle at 25m, where Steve's memorial plaque is located. Wobbegongs are also worth looking out for on this Great Barrier Reef site, lying motionless and camouflaged as ambush predators do. This makes them hard to spot but they are a great find when you do. A winding path around the pinnacle will then slowly lead you back up to the surface. Rising up around bommie, look in the cracks and crevices for different types of pipefish: Shultz's pipefish, banded messmate pipefish and glittering pipefish.

The multitude nudis, flatforms and other critters are so captivating that you'll often forget to keep an eye on the blue. Not only is the schooling action constant, but cruising barracudas, whitetip reef sharks and, in the season, minke whales, will have you not knowing where to look first.

Of coral Steve's Bommie has plenty, with outstanding growth of both hard and soft varieties. Boulder coral, gorgonian fans and plate coral are in abundance. 5 different species of Australian anemonefish inhabit the bommie along with huge amounts of purple and gold anthias.

In fact, there's so much to see on the bommie that some guides mark certain areas of interest with glow-sticks (which they retrieve later), to ensure you get to see all the weird and unusual life, making Steve's Bommie a memorable experience.

Steve's Bommie Reef Basics: Pinnacle
Depth: 5 - 30m
Visibility: 20 - 30m
Currents: Gentle - moderate
Surface conditions: Usually calm
Water temperature: 25 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - intermediate
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: All year round
Distance: 120km north east of Port Douglas
Access: Australia liveaboards

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