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Milln Reef, located approximately 56km offshore from Cairns, is a prized part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Known for its clear waters, rich marine biodiversity, and variety of dive sites, Milln Reef is a must-visit for both novice and experienced divers. With dramatic coral bommies, vibrant sea life, and multiple dive spots like the famous Three Sisters and Whale Bommie, Milln Reef offers a diving experience that ranks among the best on the reef from Cairns.
Several tour operators offer trips to Milln Reef, but not all have access to the best dive sites. Passions of Paradise is one of the few operators with mooring permits at the Three Sisters, ensuring access to this iconic site. Pro Dive Cairns offers multi-day liveaboard trips, providing extended exploration of Milln Reef. Additionally, Silverswift and Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel also visit these areas, offering both diving and snorkeling experiences.
“We dived the Three Sisters at Milln Reef on a day tour with Passions of Paradise. It was magic! The dive master even wrote on her slate ‘Best Dive Ever!’— and we couldn’t agree more.” – Richard Johnston
Whether you’re diving or snorkeling, Milln Reef offers unforgettable underwater experiences. The reef is home to incredible coral gardens, large gorgonian sea fans, and a wide variety of marine life, including sea turtles, reef sharks, and countless species of colorful fish.
For snorkelers, Milln Reef provides an exceptional experience with its shallow coral gardens and incredible visibility. The top of the Three Sisters bommies sits just a meter below the surface, allowing snorkelers to witness the same vibrant sea life as divers.
Milln Reef offers a range of dive sites for all experience levels, from shallow coral gardens to deeper areas. Each site features diverse marine life and coral formations. Popular sites include The Three Sisters, Whale Bommie, Petaj Mooring, and Swimming Pools, each providing unique diving environments with bommies, swim-throughs, and sandy seabeds.
For those wanting an extended diving adventure, Pro Dive Cairns offers a 3-day liveaboard trip to Milln Reef and other nearby reefs like Flynn Reef. On this trip, divers can enjoy up to 11 dives, including night dives, and experience the full diversity of the Great Barrier Reef. Highlights include drift diving, swim-throughs, and encounters with the reef’s most iconic marine life.
“The Three Sisters is recognized as one of the best dive sites out of Cairns. Each ‘sister’ is home to diverse marine life, with gorgonian sea fans, soft corals, and schools of fish creating an underwater paradise.” – Richard Johnston
Milln Reef offers several dive sites that cater to different levels of experience. Sites like The Three Sisters, Whale Bommie, Petaj Mooring, and Swimming Pools each provide distinct features such as coral bommies, swim-throughs, and various marine life. These sites offer a range of depths and conditions, making them suitable for divers of all skill levels.
The Three Sisters dive site consists of three large coral bommies that rise from 33 meters below the surface. The site features gorgonian sea fans, swim-throughs, overhangs, and a variety of marine life, including schools of fusiliers, barracuda, and snapper. The structure includes walls, a sandy bottom, and occasional currents, making it suitable for divers of all skill levels. The site is a popular spot for exploring coral formations and encountering resident marine species like turtles and reef sharks.
Whale Bommie is a large, isolated bommie that rises from 30 meters below the surface. The site is known for its soft corals, gorgonian sea fans, and marine life such as sleeping White-Tipped Reef Sharks, turtles, and Bumphead Parrotfish. During low tide, waves breaking over the top create a plume of water, giving the bommie its name. It’s a popular deep dive and a great spot for night dives, where divers can often spot reef crabs and painted lobsters.
Petaj Mooring is a wall dive and swim-through site that reaches a depth of 20 meters. The site is home to resident turtles, White-Tipped Reef Sharks and an abundance of multi-coloured parrotfish. The sandy areas feature fan coral and beds of staghorn corals, and divers can also encounter marine life such as barracuda, clownfish, batfish, and fusiliers. Petaj is ideal for divers of all levels, offering a mix of coral formations and diverse marine life.
Swimming Pools is a dive site featuring coral outcrops and small bommies spread across a sandy seabed. The site has an average dive depth of 10 meters and a maximum depth of 21 meters. It’s well known for the abundance of fish in the shallows, with frequent sightings of Diagonally Banded Sweetlips, nudibranchs, turtles, and barracudas. Gorgonian sea fans can be found on the outer bommie, making this site a popular choice for both day and night dives.
Todays weather forcast at Milln Reef...
Average monthly weather data for Milln Reef based on last years observations (2023)...
Please be aware that this data is intended for reference purposes only. We strongly advise you to verify the weather conditions through the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to ensure accuracy and account for any discrepancies.
Milln Reef is home to a diverse and thriving marine ecosystem, offering a rich environment for both diving and snorkeling. The reef hosts a variety of coral species, including hard corals, staghorn thickets, and large gorgonian sea fans, creating a vibrant underwater landscape. White-Tipped Reef Sharks are frequently seen resting on the sandy bottoms, particularly during morning dives, while Green Sea Turtles can be spotted either resting on the reef or grazing among the coral formations.
Bumphead Parrotfish, known for their distinctive appearance, are commonly seen around the bommies, contributing to the diversity of fish species at Milln Reef. Night dives at this location often reveal hidden marine life such as reef crabs and painted lobsters, which seek refuge in the crevices and coral overhangs. Schools of fusiliers, snapper, and other species like barracuda, batfish, clownfish, and cod move through the reef, providing divers with a dynamic and ever-changing experience. Additionally, the reef is home to smaller creatures such as nudibranchs and sea stars, adding to the ecosystem’s complexity.
Milln Reef’s dive sites—including The Three Sisters, Whale Bommie, and Petaj Mooring—offer a range of habitats that support this rich biodiversity. From deep bommies to shallow coral gardens, each site provides opportunities to observe the reef’s marine life in different settings. The clear waters and variety of underwater landscapes make Milln Reef a prime destination for experiencing the unique marine biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef.
Milln Reef is situated about 56km offshore from Cairns, on the Great Barrier Reef. As an outer reef, it lies approximately 11km from the edge of the continental shelf.
There isn’t a single “best” boat, as most tour operators from Cairns offer professional services. However, several operators like Passions of Paradise and Pro Dive Cairns are well-regarded for their trips to Milln Reef.
Milln Reef is home to an incredible variety of marine life. Divers often spot sea turtles, reef sharks, giant clams, colorful corals, and a wide range of fish species such as snapper, trevally, parrotfish, and angelfish. The reef also features large coral bommies and swim-throughs, adding to the underwater adventure.
Yes, Milln Reef has dive sites for all levels, from shallow coral gardens to deeper swim-throughs for advanced divers.
Milln Reef has multiple dive sites, with depths ranging from 5m to over 30m, making it suitable for divers of various skill levels. Some areas are shallow and perfect for beginners, while others offer deeper explorations for advanced divers.
There isn’t a definitive answer to this question. While many sources might suggest the standard “May to October” timeframe, the reality is that the ideal time to visit any reef is more influenced by the weather conditions on the day. Calm, low-wind days are always preferable over windy ones. My advice: go whenever you can, as the conditions on the day matter more than the season.
Yes, several operators like Pro Dive Cairns offer night dives where you can see nocturnal marine life such as sleeping turtles and parrotfish.
While there are no guarantees when it comes to wildlife, reef sharks are frequently spotted at Milln Reef, especially in the sandy areas around coral formations.
Yes, turtles are often seen while diving or snorkeling at Milln Reef. While sightings aren’t guaranteed, turtles are a regular feature of the underwater landscape here.
Passions of Paradise visit some amazing Cairns Great Barrier Reef sites, perfect for divers of all experience levels and snorkelers. The crew are great. The boat is comfortable and the vibe is high. Let's dive right in.
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