Byron Bay
Australia · New South Wales
Australia's most easterly point sits on the meeting line of warm tropical water pushing south down the East Australian Current and cooler temperate water coming north, making Byron Bay a year-round mixing zone for an extraordinary breadth of marine life. Julian Rocks marine reserve is the centrepiece, with grey nurse sharks aggregating in the gutters through winter and leopard sharks resting on the sand in summer. Common dolphins, loggerhead turtles and manta rays are regular visitors.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is fairly quiet.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
33 species across the dive sites here
Green Sea Turtle
Seen 24 days ago
at Cook Island
Least concern
Spotted Wobbegong
Seen 1 month ago
at Julian Rocks North
Least concern
Grey Nurse Shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Julian Rocks South
Critically endangered
Butterfly Cod
Seen 4 months ago
at Julian Rocks South
Least concern
Bigeye Trevally
Seen 4 months ago
at Julian Rocks North
Least concern
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Seen 7 months ago
at Julian Rocks South
Least concern
Giant Trevally
Seen Jul 2025
at Julian Rocks North
Least concern
Golden Trevally
Seen Apr 2025
at Julian Rocks North
Least concern
Dusky Flathead
Seen Dec 2024
at The Nursery
Common Dolphin
Seen Jul 2024
at Cook Island
Least concern
Acerola Damselfish
Seen year round
at Cook Island
Bicolor Parrotfish
Seen year round
at Cook Island
Least concern
Blue-ringed Octopus
Seen year round
at The Nursery
Least concern
Bream
Seen year round
at The Nursery
Least concern
Brittle Star
Seen year round
at Julian Rocks South
Eagle Ray
Seen year round
at Julian Rocks South
Critically endangered
Feather Star
Seen year round
at The Nursery
Giant Clam
Seen year round
at Cook Island
Critically endangered
Longspined Sea Urchin
Seen year round
at Cook Island
Sea Urchin
Seen year round
at The Nursery
Staghorn Coral
Seen year round
at Cook Island
Critically endangered
Wobbegong Shark
Seen year round
at Julian Rocks South
Yellowtail Scad
Seen year round
at Julian Rocks North
Least concern
Blacktip Reef Shark
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks North
Vulnerable
Bumphead Parrotfish
Seasonal visitor
at Cook Island
Vulnerable
Dusky Dottyback
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks South
Kingfish
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks South
Leopard Shark
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks North
Manta Ray
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks North
Shovel-nosed Ray
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks North
Shovelnose Ray
Seasonal visitor
at The Nursery
Tawny Nurse Shark
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks North
Vulnerable
Yellowtail Kingfish
Seasonal visitor
at Julian Rocks South
Least concern
Dive sites
Julian Rocks North
leopard shark · tawny nurse shark · spotted wobbegong · shovel-nosed ray
Julian Rocks South
grey nurse shark · wobbegong shark · green sea turtle · eagle ray
The Nursery
grey nurse shark · eagle ray · shovelnose ray · kingfish
Cook Island
green sea turtle · common dolphin · acerola damselfish · bicolor parrotfish