The Horseshoe
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
The Horseshoe lies within the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, in the reef area north of Cairns commonly visited by day boats and liveaboards operating out of that region. The name refers to the curved shape of the reef structure itself, and it is typically reached by extended boat trips from Cairns or Port Douglas. It's a shallow site, with a maximum depth of around 5 metres, and is rated a beginner dive. Divers here have reported damselfish, fusiliers, nudibranchs, surgeonfish, and wrasse, along with occasional territorial run-ins with damselfish themselves.
AI overviewMarine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
FusilierFusilierReported here · unconfirmed
SurgeonfishSurgeonfishReported here · unconfirmed
Sixband ParrotfishScarus frenatusReported here · unconfirmed
Bird WrasseGomphosus variusReported here · unconfirmed
Speckled DamselPomacentrus bankanensisReported here · unconfirmed
Checkerboard WrasseHalichoeres hortulanusReported here · unconfirmed
Indian Bullethead ParrotfishChlorurus sordidusReported here · unconfirmed
Swarthy ParrotfishScarus nigerReported here · unconfirmed
Dusky SurgeonfishAcanthurus nigrofuscusReported here · unconfirmed
Greensnout ParrotfishScarus spinusReported here · unconfirmed
Scaly DamselPomacentrus lepidogenysReported here · unconfirmed
Philippine DamselPomacentrus philippinusReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
WrasseWrasseReported here · unconfirmed
DamselfishDamselfishReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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