[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":184},["ShallowReactive",2],{"leaderboard-total":3,"spot-seo-keppel-islands-the-gulch-barren-island-child-island-channel":9,"spot-keppel-islands-the-gulch-barren-island-child-island-channel":51},{"entries":4,"total":5,"period":6,"type":7,"generated_at":8},[],0,"all_time","reports","2026-10-03T06:32:05.526386Z",{"title":10,"description":11,"canonical_url":12,"og_image":13,"structured_data":14,"breadcrumbs":44},"Snorkeling Conditions at Keppel Islands - The Gulch (Barren Island & Child Island channel) - How's the Spot","Check snorkeling conditions at Keppel Islands - The Gulch (Barren Island & Child Island channel), Queensland. Excellent conditions, water 23.0°C, waves 0.02m","https:\u002F\u002Fhowsthespot.com\u002Fspots\u002Fkeppel-islands-the-gulch-barren-island-child-island-channel","https:\u002F\u002Fhowsthespot.com\u002Fog-default.png",[15,28],{"@context":16,"@type":17,"name":18,"description":19,"url":12,"geo":20,"address":24},"https:\u002F\u002Fschema.org","Place","Keppel Islands - The Gulch (Barren Island & Child Island channel)","The Gulch is the deep channel between Barren Island and Child Island, 7 km east of Great Keppel Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef. This dramatic drift-snorkel site features walls draped in...",{"@type":21,"latitude":22,"longitude":23},"GeoCoordinates",-23.178396,150.948189,{"@type":25,"addressRegion":26,"addressCountry":27},"PostalAddress","Queensland","Australia",{"@context":16,"@type":29,"name":30,"description":11,"url":12,"breadcrumb":31},"WebPage","Snorkeling Conditions at Keppel Islands - The Gulch (Barren Island & Child Island channel)",{"@context":16,"@type":32,"itemListElement":33},"BreadcrumbList",[34,39,42],{"@type":35,"position":36,"name":37,"item":38},"ListItem",1,"Home","https:\u002F\u002Fhowsthespot.com",{"@type":35,"position":40,"name":26,"item":41},2,"https:\u002F\u002Fhowsthespot.com\u002Fexplore?region=queensland",{"@type":35,"position":43,"name":18,"item":12},3,[45,47,49],{"label":37,"href":46},"\u002F",{"label":26,"href":48},"\u002Fexplore?region=queensland",{"label":18,"href":50},"\u002Fspots\u002Fkeppel-islands-the-gulch-barren-island-child-island-channel",{"id":52,"name":18,"slug":53,"latitude":22,"longitude":23,"description":54,"difficulty":55,"image_url":56,"status":57,"tide_constituents":58,"hazard_entries":109,"access_info_structured":124,"area_boundary":56,"routes":56,"created_at":130,"updated_at":131,"today_conditions":132,"today_verdict_view":152,"images":180,"submitted_by":181,"region_name":26,"verification_status":183,"verified_at":56,"disputed":178,"verifier_count":5,"last_verified_display_name":56},"8f9d33d5-8705-485e-bb24-4039150f788a","keppel-islands-the-gulch-barren-island-child-island-channel","The Gulch is the deep channel between Barren Island and Child Island, 7 km east of Great Keppel Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef. This dramatic drift-snorkel site features walls draped in gorgonians, sea whips, black corals and soft corals, with fringing reefs teeming with tropical fish. The channel acts as a natural highway for pelagic schools — expect Spanish mackerel, tuna, trevally and black kingfish sweeping past, while stingrays and wobbegong sharks hug the rocky bottom. Occasional manta ray sightings add to the thrill. A remote, exposed site best suited to experienced swimmers.","advanced",null,"published",{"name":59,"amplitude":75,"phase":91,"latitude":22,"model":107,"epoch":108},[60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74],"2N2","J1","K1","K2","M2","M4","MF","MM","N2","O1","P1","Q1","S1","S2","T2",[76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90],0.04590978512778843,0.021839710665135532,0.3042402757413771,0.1486743635963029,1.4306376863319692,0.008796413400563644,0.004203881690557194,0.0036069637593138916,0.3126723926550474,0.15220090616052018,0.08719869190650006,0.023946003244775988,0.01251466432976881,0.4689886006275524,0.026791106478884406,[92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104,105,106],324.5400198089711,36.086625140696356,13.829444644581304,347.33760741645307,355.67742466676793,8.177813132863614,15.57693635829962,111.93423131778017,345.6670588600527,345.62112741260546,10.021990915539027,309.09474682971427,313.6310381081235,354.6823782796175,330.4925034691945,"EOT20","1992-01-01T00:00:00Z",[110,114,117,121],{"name":111,"description":112,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Strong tidal currents","The Gulch is a tidal channel with strong currents between Barren and Child Islands, making it a drift snorkel. Snorkelers must be comfortable being carried along by the current.","warning",{"name":115,"description":116,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Remote offshore location","Located 7 km offshore from Great Keppel Island with no beach access — requires boat support. Open ocean conditions can change rapidly.",{"name":118,"description":119,"severity":120,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Exposed channel swell","The channel can experience moderate to large ocean swells, especially in southeasterly trade winds, affecting water conditions.","caution",{"name":122,"description":123,"severity":120,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Stinger season","Marine stingers (box jellyfish) are present in Keppel waters during the warmer months.",{"directions":125,"parking":126,"facilities":127,"fees":128,"access_method":129},"The Gulch lies 7 km east of Great Keppel Island in the Keppel Islands group. Access is by chartered boat or snorkel tour from Yeppoon (Keppel Bay Marina) or Great Keppel Island. The channel between Barren Island and Child Island requires a boat drop-off for drift snorkeling.","Park at Keppel Bay Marina, Yeppoon (15 Rosslyn Bay Road, Yeppoon QLD) where long-term parking is available for ferry and charter customers. No parking at the site itself — it is offshore.",[],"Charter or tour fees apply. No direct entry fee for the site itself.","boat","2026-07-27T02:54:02.779837Z","2026-08-04T05:34:24.990774Z",{"verdict":133,"evaluated_at":134,"models":135},"go","2026-10-03T02:18:22.359670Z",[136,143,148],{"model_name":137,"is_favourable":138,"value":139,"threshold":140,"unit":141,"operator":142},"Wind Speed",true,0.94,10,"kn","lte",{"model_name":144,"is_favourable":138,"value":145,"threshold":146,"unit":147,"operator":142},"Wave Height",0.016,0.5,"m",{"model_name":149,"is_favourable":138,"value":43,"threshold":40,"unit":150,"operator":151},"Visibility","","gte",{"verdict":133,"rating":153,"evaluated_at":134,"generated_at":134,"source":154,"confidence":155,"visibility":158,"parameters":159,"models_passed":179,"models_total":173},"Excellent","precomputed",{"level":156,"value":157},"High",100,{"score":43,"rating":56,"confidence":56},[160,161,167,170,175],{"name":144,"value":145,"label":56,"unit":147,"favourable":138,"score":43,"optimal_max":146,"marginal_max":36},{"name":162,"value":163,"label":56,"unit":164,"favourable":138,"score":43,"optimal_max":165,"marginal_max":166},"Swell Period",2.35,"s",8,12,{"name":137,"value":168,"label":56,"unit":141,"favourable":138,"score":43,"optimal_max":140,"marginal_max":169},0.9369308800000001,15,{"name":171,"value":5,"label":56,"unit":172,"favourable":138,"score":43,"optimal_max":173,"marginal_max":174},"Precipitation","mm",5,20,{"name":176,"value":56,"label":177,"unit":150,"favourable":178,"score":36,"optimal_max":56,"marginal_max":56},"Tidal Phase","flood",false,4,[],{"display_name":182},"Daniel","unverified",1791009164198]