Australia’s 50 Great Dives index

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BALLS PYRAMID

Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

Type of dive:

Reef

Snorkelling:

Yes, extraordinary, especially Neds Beach!

Scuba:

Advanced for Balls Pyramid but Open Water for other island dives

Access:

Boat only (1 hour)

Depth:

3 – 30 metres (10-100’)

Visibility:

20 – 40 metres (65-130’)

Water temperature:

19 – 26°C (66-79°F)

Seasonal:

Best visited between September and May

Balls Pyramid, the world’s tallest sea stack, is picturesque Lord Howe Island’s premier dive site.

The UNESCO World Heritage Listed Lord Howe Island is in the Pacific Ocean approximately 600 kilometres (370 mi) east of Port Macquarie, a short flight from either Sydney, Brisbane or Port Macquarie.

First settled in the mid-1800’s, Lord Howe Island has a population of about 350 and there is a limit of 400 tourist beds, therefore protecting not only the island’s environment but also its charm.

It is a sensational holiday location!

Lord Howe Island’s extraordinary terrestrial and marine ecosystems have unique indigenous plants and insects including the last known wild population of the once thought-to-be extinct Lord Howe Island stick insect found on Balls Pyramid.

At one end of the island are the majestic Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird, and at the other end, Mount Eliza. These are all excellent hiking destinations with sensational views. In the middle of the island is a large tropical coral lagoon on one side and beautiful sandy beaches on the other side.

Scuba divers have the opportunity to experience over 200 dive sites on Lord Howe Island.

There is a rare mix of tropical and temperate water as well as the world’s most southern barrier reef.

Balls Pyramid is 561 metres (1841’) high and located 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Lord Howe Island, a little under an hour by boat.

The rock stack is in a State and Commonwealth Marine Park sanctuary zone and provides spectacular dive sites with mesmerising marine life.

Divers can experience cave dives, spectacular coral walls and drift dives due to currents which can be quite strong. The visibility is usually excellent!

Massive schools of fish including amberjack, rainbow runners, silver drummer, yellowtail kingfish and trevally may be encountered by divers on any dive.

Anemone fish abound around Lord Howe Island, not to mention the occasional turtle, dolphins, marlin, wahoo and a splendid array of invertebrate life.

Balls Pyramid is also home to species such as Spanish dancers and Galapagos whalers, and divers may also encounter the extremely rare Ballina angelfish.

It is not unusual to be surrounded by Galapagos sharks during a safety stop!

Special thanks to Lisa & Aaron Ralph of Dive Lord Howe, and my long-time dive buddy Peter Mosse.
Copyright © 2024 Steve Sinclair

OTHER GREAT DIVES WHILE IN THE AREA
Erscotts Hole, Comets Hole, Admiralty Islands, Rupert’s Reef, Deacons Delight and Malabar.

2026 GREAT AUSTRALIAN DIVE CHALLENGE
Dive Registration
To register this dive for validation, go to: www.50greatdives.com.
NOTE: Entrants should do this dive with one of the following preferred dive services.