Dive in Christmas Island

Diving in Christmas Island

The diving from Christmas Island is some of the most undiscovered and untouched diving in Australia. The Island is the tip of an ancient volcanic mountain rising 3000m from the depths of the ocean floor. The island is surrounded by a narrow tropical reef which plunges into a bottomless abyss. As the Island is surrounded by deep water, it attracts a large array of pelagics including tuna, trevally, white tip reef sharks, Maori wrasse and occasionally the hammerhead shark. The island features endless kilometres of spectacular wall diving, pristine corals, a myriad of tropical fish, dolphins, crystal clear warm waters and sea caves.

With wall diving like no other, starting only 20 metres from the shore and dropping hundreds of metres into the abyss, this is an experience you won’t want to miss out on! 

There is a dive centre on the island or some centres in Sydney and Melbourne organise all inclusive trips for your convenience. It’s best to go with an experienced local guide who will know the reef like the back of his hand and take you to the best places. With around 40 sites to explore, you’ll surely find something to suit your experience and interests. 

The area boasts some of the most thriving coral on the planet, teaming with hundred of fish species and a fantastic selection of the big stuff such as dolphins, whale sharks and reef sharks. Explore in and around the coral heads for cool macro critters for photography lovers.

Wreck divers will enjoy the Eidsvold Wreck, drift divers will love flying along the Perpendicular Wall, coming face to face with a reef shark or ray every now and again. Spot a turtle or two on the wall dive of Ryan’s Ravine or search for the pretty Blue Ribbon Eel around The Morgue site.  

Thundercliffe Cave is a great dive where you can surface in the cave and explore the area by foot. The Bat Fish here are curious and friendly and there’s a lovely coral garden outside the cave. 

The wonders of Christmas Island diving awaits you, don’t miss out on the warm, clear water diving in some of the deepest waters in the world!

(By Kelly Luckman)

Travel to Christmas Island

Far from the stress of every day life, Christmas Island is a paradise that will excite you with its incredible natural beauty and wonders.  Located almost 2600km northwest of Perth, the island is actually closer to Indonesia than it is to its governing country, Australia.  

No boats are currently servicing the island so you’ll have to fly but private yachts do regularly stop at the island’s biggest bay, Flying Fish Cove so you might be lucky enough to catch a ride with one of them.  There are two flights a week from Perth and one chartered flight a week on a Saturday from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.  

A variety of accommodation options are available from hotels to luxury beachfront villas and private lodges.  Prices vary considerably so check with the tourism association first so you know your options.  Package holidays are also common including flights and accommodation so this might be a better option for you.  There is a camping site on Dolly Beach.

Almost all of the activities revolve around the incredible natural beauty of the area. The island is covered in rainforest so 4WD trips are a plenty and looking for the natural wildlife is a must.  There are so many interesting things to find!  The red crab migration (Dec-Feb) is world famous and truly spectacular as is the turtles laying their eggs on the beach. 

Lilly Beach and Dolly Beach are great places to relax or head to the Blow Holes for some interesting geological formations. Take a boat trip and snorkel with the whale sharks (Nov-Apr), try a bit of game fishing or mountain bike and hike through the lush tropical parks. There are some fascinating caves on the island but be sure to take a local guide with you who knows the area well.  The diving and snorkelling is fabulous here so be sure to hit the water and check out the underwater life too. 

The island is duty free so you’ll enjoy the cheap drinks as the various bars and taverns. The local people are mostly of Chinese descent so you’ll find a lot of Asian food on the menu along with the very freshest seafood dishes. 

Discover some beautiful and very rare experiences on Christmas Island.  This place is truly a nature lover’s paradise.

 

(By Kelly Luckman)