Just north of Fraser Island, the Great Barrier Reef meanders out to 100 km from the Queensland coast. At the southern end lies Lady Elliot Island with its resort, surrounded by protected reefs where the fish are more plentiful and larger.
The Blowhole is a dive site just offshore from Lady Elliot Island. We drop into 15m of water and follow our guide through a hole in the reef. At 25m, we exit amidst corals, gorgonians and heaps of fish. A white tip reef shark darts away and vanishes before we realise what it is.
Under the coral, two lionfish with their array of long venomous spines hover. We give them a wide berth as they swivel around. In the centre of the blowhole, light filters down silhouetting the fish schools in midwater. This is just one of the dive sites a short boat trip from Lady Elliott Island.
