The Lady Bowen is a historic 19th-century shipwreck resting under 34 metres of water on the Great Barrier Reef, now transformed into a spectacular artificial reef. The wreck is encrusted with vibrant hard and soft corals, while large schools of batfish, trevally, and barracuda swarm around the structure. This advanced dive site offers a hauntingly beautiful silhouette of the vessel against the reef floor, with bommies and sandy patches surrounding it. Due to the depth (up to 34m), it is primarily a scuba diving site rather than a typical snorkel spot, but nearby shallower reef areas may be suitable for experienced snorkelers.
Lady Bowen Dive Site
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Wave Height 0.4 mSwell Period 5.2 sWind Speed 8.6 knPrecipitation 3.2 mmTidal Phase flood
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Community contribution: submitted by Daniel
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Moderate risk: Deep water (34m)
The wreck sits at 34m depth, requiring advanced dive qualifications and careful depth/time management to avoid decompression sickness.
Moderate risk: Strong currents
Strong ocean currents can sweep across the outer reef site, making navigation and ascent/descent challenging.
Moderate risk: Ocean currents
Strong currents can develop along the ledge, making this site unsuitable for self-guided snorkelling. Drift snorkelling is the standard approach with guided tours.
Low risk: Sharp wreckage & coral
Sharp metal wreckage and coral encrustations pose cuts and entanglement risks for divers.
Low risk: Boat traffic
Boat traffic from dive charter vessels in the area requires awareness during surface intervals.
Low risk: Variable depth
Water depth varies significantly along the reef slope, requiring reasonable swimming fitness and confidence in deeper water.
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Getting in
Boat
Entry
Located off the coast from Mission Beach, about 2 hours south of Cairns. Accessible via liveaboard dive boats or day trip charters departing from Mission Beach, Cairns, or Port Douglas.
Parking & facilities
Park at the Mission Beach marina or boat ramp area. Street parking and paid lots available near the departure points.
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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