This dive site is located just inside the entrance between Ribbon Reef Number 2 and 3. It is on the northern (Number 3) side of the entrance. This is about 117 kilometres north-north-east of Port Douglas. The GPS Reading for the bommie is S15° 30' 06.4" E145° 47' 16.7".
The bommie is about 10 metres square on top and about 60 metres square on the bottom. You can swim right around the base in about 20 minutes, stopping along the way for lots of photos. The mooring is off the northern side in relatively shallow water.
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Kelly McFadyen poses with a gorgonia at Steves Bommie | A school of sweetlips at Steves Bommie |
I was told that this dive site was formerly known as Temple of Doom and renamed after a divemaster on one of the charter boats who died in a snorkelling accident (see later). However, one chart I looked at showed a located called Temple of Doom nearby. Not sure if this is correct then.
Once you enter the water, descend straight down and you will see the bottom just off the bommie. The depth here is about 30 metres and it drops to 35 metres further out. If you start off at about 27 to 30 metres, you will get a good dive. Head off in one direction, staying at the same depth for the first 10 minutes before starting to gradually rise. There are lots of hard and soft corals, as well as gorgonias and sea whips to see. At this depth keep an eye open for clown triggerfish and titan triggerfish. Out over the sand you may also see white-tipped reef sharks and large rays.
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One of many unicornfish seen at Steves Bommie | More fish at Steves Bommie |
As mentioned, after about 20 minutes you will be back in the area you started from but a bit shallower. Keep going around the bommie till you eventually reach the top. This will take at least two or three more circumnavigations. Off to the north-east there is a smaller bommie that is almost joined to the main bommie. This is worth examining in detail as it has a small overhang that is normally home to lots of fish (sweetlips). There is a plaque between the smaller bommie and main bommie to Steve.
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A ragged firefish at Steves Bommie | One of two reef stonefish at Steves Bommie |
The eastern side also has lots of fish in between some larger coral outcrops. These are sometimes as big as 100 fish. At about 13 metres on the northern side (perhaps a little to the east), there is a very small ledge that has a cone shaped coral structure (lying on its side). Look very carefully in this area and you may see some leafy scorpiofish. On my dive we found one dark brown/black specimen and about 10 metres further to the east another yellow specimen. There is said to be a third one here as well but we could not find it. Magnificent fish!
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One of the many strange worm-like specimens seen at Steves Bommie | A pair of beautiful nudibranchs at Steves Bommie |
Keep ascending till you reach the top of the bommie and do a safety stop at five metres while looking at the anemones and clownfish.
A truly great dive site. Worth doing many times, even though it is not all that big. Visibility was about 25 metres and water temperature in November 25C.
Return to Main Great Barrier Reef Index Page.
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