Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving - Bombora Reef
There are literally hundreds of dive locations to be found in and around Jervis Bay. The best of these are found in the open ocean, although there are quite a few inside the bay. Of the better locations in the bay, The Docks is the best known. As you travel out to the Point Perpendicular area or to The Docks, you will pass Longnose Point. This juts out a fair way and is, in itself, not a bad dive. The reef at Longnose Point continues out towards Bowen Island and some distance offshore it forms another dive site called Bombora Reef. This is a reef that comes up in a couple of steps from 25 metres or so to less than five metres.
I have only done this dive with Ocean Trek. They motor over the reef top and you exit "parachute commando" style as the boat passes over the reef. Once in the water, you simply head to the east and drop off the flat top. If anchoring, make sure that the reef is not breaking and anchor in water a bit deeper than the top. The first wall is drops to 10 metres and there are a lot of huge boulders and swim-throughs in this area. The wall is smaller, going to 12 metres and the next to 18 metres. The final drop is a less steep drop to 24 metres. On the sand there are a lot of small rocks, all covered in colourful sponges, sea squirts and gorgonias. There are a lot of leatherjackets and sea dragons in this area. After reaching the sand (it should be about 15 minutes into the dive), follow it to the north, gradually getting shallower.
After a while, turn to the west and even the south-west. When you encounter the walls, you can follow them south for a while. There are some very large swim-throughs, especially in the 10 to 12 metre area. There are huge schools of silver sweep, yellowtail, seapike and one-spot pullers along these walls. I also encountered a very agressive and huge giant cuttlefish which repeatedly attempted to grab my gloved hand or video camera. When low on air or bottom time, come to the top of the reef and do your safety stop in view of the reef before ascending and, if you are diving with Ocean Trek, being picked up by Priscilla.
A very good second dive location or if the seas are up a bit outside (so long as the swell is not hitting here).
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