Curtin Artificial Reef is the world's first artificial reef built by divers for divers, created in 1968 in Moreton Bay off the inner side of Moreton Island. Spanning 400m x 120m, this unique underwater museum features over 25 scuttled vessels including tugboats, barges, a ferry, a drydock gate, whale chasers, and even a Brisbane tram. The wrecks lie in 12-30m of water and are blanketed in vibrant hard and soft corals, gorgonians, and sponges. Massive Queensland grouper up to 3m long patrol the wrecks alongside barracuda, giant trevally, wobbegongs, turtles, and dozens of tropical reef fish species. Strong tidal currents and shifting sands make every dive here different.
Curtin Reef
IntermediateGO
GO
It's a go.
Showing last known conditions
Wave Height 0.2 mSwell Period 4.3 sWind Speed 2.4 knPrecipitation 0.0 mmTidal Phase flood
Last evaluated
The spot
Community-maintained
Community contribution: submitted by Daniel
Know before you go
Logged by the community, confirmed by mods
Moderate risk: Strong tidal currents
Strong tidal flows between high and low tide, especially during spring tides. Best dived on high tide or as a drift dive.
Moderate risk: Shifting sand and wreck penetration risks
Shifting sands can bury or expose wrecks. Penetration of wrecks requires advanced training and proper equipment.
Low risk: Fishing tackle entanglement
Discarded fishing line and tackle from popular fishing activity at the site. Carry a dive knife and wear gloves.
Low risk: Stinging hydroids
Stinging hydroids covering some of the wreck structures. Avoid bare-hand contact with growth on wrecks.
Low risk: Variable visibility
Visibility can vary from 6m to 30m. Clearest after a week of southerly winds. Can drop suddenly after storms.
Wildlife Guide
No wildlife notes for this spot yet.
Gallery
Be the first to share a photo
No photos yet — yours could be the first.
Photos are reviewed by moderators before they appear.
Getting in
Boat
Entry
Curtin Artificial Reef is located in Moreton Bay on the inner side of Moreton Island, about 1 nautical mile north of Cowan Cowan. Boat access from Brisbane's Manly Harbour or Scarborough. Charter operators such as Brisbane Scuba run regular trips from Manly.
Parking & facilities
Parking available at Manly Boat Harbour and Scarborough Marina. No parking at the reef itself — accessible only by boat.
parkingtoiletsboat_ramp
No entry fee for the reef itself. Charter dive/snorkel trips cost approximately $150-200 AUD per person.
Spot Map
Community
Trust
Is this spot real, accurate, still loved?
Spots near Queensland
No nearby spots yet.
Needs verification
Quick verify
One tap helps the community keep this spot honest.
About this data
- Conditions last evaluated
- Spot data last updated
- Data sources
- Open-Meteo (marine & weather conditions), tide predictions via UTide, community contributors (descriptions, hazards, marine life).
- License
- Spot content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. How's the Spot is open source.
Weather & swell ┬╖ Open-Meteo marine & weather APIs Tides ┬╖ UTide harmonic analysis Sea & safety ┬╖ community reports