NORTH HORN SHARK FEED
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| Type of dive: |
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Animal interaction |
| Snorkelling: |
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Definitely not! |
| Scuba: |
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Open Water (Advanced recommended) |
| Access: |
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Boat only (Live aboard) |
| Depth: |
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15 metres (50’) |
| Visibility: |
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25 – 40 metres (80-130’) |
| Water temperature: |
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27 – 29°C (80-85°F) |
| Seasonal: |
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No, but September to May best |
“You haven’t dived until you have done a shark feed!”
Remote Osprey Reef is located in the Coral Sea on the outer Great Barrier Reef, 350 kilometres (220 mi) from Cairns and only accessible via a live aboard vessel.
This small oval-shaped underwater coral atoll is in pristine blue water and raises up from depths of over 1000 metres (3,300’). The centre of the lagoon is 30 metres (100’) deep.
The fish life is truly awesome!
Osprey Reef attracts an enormous variety of pelagic fish including dogtooth tuna, mackerel, rainbow runners plus huge schools of barracuda and trevally, and visits by marlin, mantra rays, eagle rays and hammerhead sharks are not unusual.
Whale sharks, sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins are also regular visitors, and Osprey is also famous for pelagic octopus and nautilus.
The reef walls are covered in delicate soft corals and gorgonian fans reaching two metres (6’) in diameter.
Numerous reef sharks, including silver tip and grey reef sharks, are the highlight of a trip to Osprey, and the natural amphitheatre at North Horn is where all the adrenalin-charged action takes place.
Safety is of paramount importance!
Strict Queensland Government guidelines require shark food to be sealed in a bin and carried to the site by tender so the sharks do not associate the food source with the dive boat, and divers are not allowed to move until the feed is over and the feed bin has been removed. Participating divers are securely stationed with their backs to the amphitheatre wall in around 12-15 metres (40-50’).
Once the food is released, the ensuing shark frenzy is also joined by large potato cod, moray eels and other well-known fish species, all violently fighting for morsels.
The power generated by these predators as they hustle each other for a bite can be felt many metres away.
A word of warning – make sure you monitor your air very carefully; you will be surprised what a rush of adrenalin can do to your air consumption!
Special thanks to the Spirit of Freedom Team.
Copyright © 2024 Steve Sinclair
Other great dive sites to visit while you are there:
North Horn Wall, Half Way Wall, Admiralty, False Entrance and Silver City.
Local dive services:
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SPIRIT OF FREEDOM |
Other services:
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Need somewhere to eat, drink or stay? |
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BLAST EXPERIENCES |
OTHER INFORMATION
LOCATION
State or Territory:
Queensland
Nearest City:
Cairns
Nearest Regional City:
Not applicable
Nearest Town:
Not applicable
HOW TO GET THERE
Air:
Nearest International Airport:
Cairns
Nearest Domestic/Regional Airport:
Cairns
Road:
Brisbane to Cairns:
19 hours (1,700 km/1,060 mi) via National Highway A1
Bus:
From Brisbane
Train:
From Brisbane
Ferry:
Not relevant
THINGS TO DO
White Water Rafting
Sky Diving
Hot Air Ballooning
Mountain Bike Tours
Deep Sea Fishing
Daintree Rainforest
Cape Tribulation
Kuranda Scenic Railway
Cairns Tropical Zoo
Sky Rail Rainforest Cableway
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
Barren Gorge National Park