Mooloolaba has many wonderful dive sites, but the most spectacular dive site on this part of the Sunshine Coast would have to be the Barwon Banks. Located 22 nautical miles offshore, conditions have to be perfect to visit this rocky reef that rises from 50 metres to 22 metres. A dive for experienced divers only, the rocky reef at Barwon Banks is riddled with caves, ledges, bommies and gutters.
Decorating this varied terrain are black coral trees, soft corals, gorgonians and sea whips. While a good collection of reef fish and invertebrate species reside on this reef, this is a site to look for the big stuff. Schooling pelagic fish gather at Barwon Banks, with masses of barracuda, trevally, rainbow runners and batfish swarming around divers. This is a good location to see turtles, stingrays, eagle rays, wobbegongs, gropers, leopard sharks and larger shark species, with both bronze whalers and tiger sharks common.
