Carpet Cove
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily, so treat everything here as planning ranges.
Carpet Cove pairs a modest sunken fishing boat with bommies whose flat coral tops inspired the name, and together they make a satisfying hour. The little wreck has surrendered completely to the lagoon (soft corals on the rails, lionfish in the wheelhouse shadows, glassfish pulsing through the holds), and because it sits at friendly depth, divers can study it without watching the clock. The surrounding heads carry anemones, sweetlips, and reliable macro: nudibranchs, shrimp in the crevices, the odd leaf scorpionfish for guides with sharp eyes. After rain the lagoon greens up; on clear days the site punches above its billing.
The moment you come for: A completely coral-claimed small wreck; glassfish clouds in the holds; steady macro hunting on the surrounding heads.
Topography: Coral heads and sand with a small sunken fishing vessel colonized into an artificial reef
Entry: Sheltered lagoon mooring; the small wreck and the coral heads share one easy circuit.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Reduced visibility after heavy rain; sharp, rusting steel on the small wreck.
Conservation: The wreck's coral coat is its value now: no gloves, no grabbing rails, no entering the collapsing interior.
Who you'll meet
Clownfish & Anemonefish
Nudibranchs
Lionfish
Oriental Sweetlips
Leaf Scorpionfish
Common Reef (Day) Octopus
Banded Sea Krait
Bull Shark
Also recorded nearby
"Charted here" species were listed by our editors from the sources on this page. Counts are GBIF occurrence records: observations logged within about 5 km of the charted position since 1990, matched only against the species in our catalogue. They show what has been seen there, not a promise of what you will see.
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★☆☆ · Macro: ★★★★☆ (editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting)