[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":204},["ShallowReactive",2],{"leaderboard-total":3,"spot-seo-milln-reef-whale-bommie":9,"spot-milln-reef-whale-bommie":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 Milln Reef - Whale Bommie - How's the Spot","Check snorkeling conditions at Milln Reef - Whale Bommie, Queensland. Fair conditions, water 24.2°C, waves 0.00m","https:\u002F\u002Fhowsthespot.com\u002Fspots\u002Fmilln-reef-whale-bommie","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","Milln Reef - Whale Bommie","Whale Bommie is a massive, isolated coral head rising from 30 metres deep off the southern side of Milln Reef, approximately 56 km east of Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef. At low tide, waves break...",{"@type":21,"latitude":22,"longitude":23},"GeoCoordinates",-19.298215,146.761524,{"@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 Milln Reef - Whale Bommie",{"@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\u002Fmilln-reef-whale-bommie",{"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":144,"area_boundary":56,"routes":56,"created_at":152,"updated_at":153,"today_conditions":154,"today_verdict_view":174,"images":200,"submitted_by":201,"region_name":26,"verification_status":203,"verified_at":56,"disputed":183,"verifier_count":5,"last_verified_display_name":56},"bf918e4c-4480-4f13-956c-682010e33920","milln-reef-whale-bommie","Whale Bommie is a massive, isolated coral head rising from 30 metres deep off the southern side of Milln Reef, approximately 56 km east of Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef. At low tide, waves break over the bommie's crest, shooting a plume of water into the air — hence the name. The site is crowned with dense soft corals, huge gorgonian sea fans, and hard coral gardens. Snorkelers drift over the bommie's shallow plateau while the reef wall drops away into deeper blue, offering encounters with sleeping white-tipped reef sharks, green sea turtles, and bumphead parrotfish. The bommie's isolation and rich marine life make it one of the most iconic snorkel and dive sites in the Cairns region.","intermediate",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],0.03550947154879043,0.02310910903205148,0.3393241671173633,0.11032346451845164,0.7221859207010256,0.031974772120093344,0.009905523353284432,0.009484941434835503,0.22280453732018787,0.16695330111074944,0.10240484851238667,0.028325471014314985,0.010266440301415339,0.38989014966281427,0.02989881791918335,[92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104,105,106],328.40929939296933,59.87478785200957,37.71931698544992,301.43606874065256,348.82414712484626,279.0158252239493,20.865164572422312,47.49987723512115,330.8835201755036,10.423222350352148,34.622949309997175,351.9861050010081,306.0161015639278,306.51874626138215,286.24309632380954,"EOT20","1992-01-01T00:00:00Z",[110,114,118,121,124,128,131,135,138,141],{"name":111,"description":112,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Low-tide wave surge over bommie","At low tide, waves break over the bommie's crest, creating a dramatic plume of water and surge that can disorient snorkelers.","caution",{"name":115,"description":116,"severity":117,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Ocean currents","The bommie is isolated from the main reef — currents can sweep snorkelers away from the site. Drift conditions are common.","warning",{"name":119,"description":120,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Deep drop-off adjacent to bommie","Whale Bommie is a deep site (25–30 m at base) with steep drop-offs. Snorkelers should stay on the shallow plateau.",{"name":122,"description":123,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Remote offshore location","The site is 56 km offshore — boat access only. Medical evacuation is distant.",{"name":125,"description":126,"severity":117,"season_start":36,"season_end":127},"Open ocean swells & wind chop","The site is accessed via open ocean, 350 km offshore. Swells, strong currents, and wind chop can develop quickly, making surface conditions challenging for snorkellers.",12,{"name":129,"description":130,"severity":117,"season_start":36,"season_end":127},"Tidal currents at lagoon entrance","Tidal currents can be strong through the gutters and passes at the lagoon entrance, requiring good fitness and awareness.",{"name":132,"description":133,"severity":134,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Remote location","Extreme remoteness — the nearest medical facility is hours away by boat\u002Fhelicopter. Self-reliance is essential.","danger",{"name":136,"description":137,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Deep wall drop-off","Petaj Mooring is a wall dive site where the reef wall drops steeply to 20 metres. Snorkelers should stay near the surface and be aware of the sudden depth change.",{"name":139,"description":140,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Open ocean exposure","The site is some 56 km offshore and exposed to open ocean conditions. Swell and wind can affect water conditions year-round, with the summer wet season (Nov–Apr) typically bringing more unsettled seas.",{"name":142,"description":143,"severity":113,"season_start":56,"season_end":56},"Boat traffic","Boat traffic from multiple tour operators visiting Milln Reef sites. Snorkelers must stay aware of vessels using the mooring.",{"directions":145,"parking":146,"facilities":147,"fees":150,"access_method":151},"Located approximately 56 km (~1.5 hr) east of Cairns, North QLD. Accessible only by commercial tour boat or liveaboard from Cairns. Operators include Passions of Paradise, Silverswift, Pro Dive Cairns, and Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel.","Parking available at Cairns marina precincts. Check with your tour operator for specific meeting point details.",[148,149],"toilets","parking","Tours from approx. $275 AUD per person (day trip). Liveaboard packages from $1,095 AUD.","snorkel_tour","2026-07-27T02:56:44.609291Z","2026-08-04T05:36:16.070459Z",{"verdict":155,"evaluated_at":156,"models":157},"marginal","2026-10-03T02:19:22.385552Z",[158,165,169],{"model_name":159,"is_favourable":160,"value":161,"threshold":162,"unit":163,"operator":164},"Wind Speed",true,6.17,10,"kn","lte",{"model_name":166,"is_favourable":160,"value":5,"threshold":167,"unit":168,"operator":164},"Wave Height",0.5,"m",{"model_name":170,"is_favourable":160,"value":171,"threshold":40,"unit":172,"operator":173},"Visibility",2.54,"","gte",{"verdict":155,"rating":175,"evaluated_at":156,"generated_at":156,"source":176,"confidence":177,"visibility":180,"parameters":181,"models_passed":40,"models_total":195},"Fair","precomputed",{"level":178,"value":179},"Medium",75,{"score":171,"rating":56,"confidence":56},[182,184,188,191,197],{"name":166,"value":5,"label":56,"unit":168,"favourable":183,"score":36,"optimal_max":167,"marginal_max":36},false,{"name":185,"value":5,"label":56,"unit":186,"favourable":183,"score":36,"optimal_max":187,"marginal_max":127},"Swell Period","s",8,{"name":159,"value":189,"label":56,"unit":163,"favourable":160,"score":43,"optimal_max":162,"marginal_max":190},6.171691999999999,15,{"name":192,"value":193,"label":56,"unit":194,"favourable":160,"score":43,"optimal_max":195,"marginal_max":196},"Precipitation",0.2,"mm",5,20,{"name":198,"value":56,"label":199,"unit":172,"favourable":183,"score":36,"optimal_max":56,"marginal_max":56},"Tidal Phase","flood",[],{"display_name":202},"Daniel","unverified",1791009175002]