The Nursery

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australiareef12 m maxbeginner

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Conditions & tides

The NurseryGold Coast · 12 m

Fair · 4/5

conditions visualisation

Fair4/5

Some chop right now — best window today 1 PM–5 PM.

Wind12 kn ESE

Current~0.3 kn S · model

Swell

1.3 m · 6s · ESE

Water

22 °C

Conditions through the day

6 AM6 PM

Calmest current near slack — 12:00 PM & 01:00 AM local

Sunrise 05:33 AM · Sunset 05:42 PM local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 1.2 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

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.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

The Nursery lies off the Gold Coast of southeast Queensland, on a reef reached by boat from local marinas along this stretch of Australia's Pacific coastline. It's a beginner site with light current and good visibility, with a maximum depth of around 12 metres. Leopard (zebra) sharks, nurse sharks, sea turtles, and wobbegongs are regularly encountered here, and divers have also reported barracuda, cuttlefish, eagle rays, lionfish, nudibranchs, and octopus on the reef.

AI overview

Marine life here

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

CuttlefishCuttlefishReported here · unconfirmed
Sea turtleSea turtleConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Nurse SharkGinglymostoma cirratumConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Spotted WobbegongOrectolobus maculatusReported here · unconfirmed
Reticulated WhiprayHimantura australisReported here · unconfirmed
Whitespotted GuitarfishRhynchobatus australiaeReported here · unconfirmed
Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatusReported here · unconfirmed
WobbegongWobbegongConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Leopard / zebra sharkLeopard / zebra sharkConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Nurse sharkNurse sharkConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed
LionfishLionfishReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed