The Nursery

The Nursery is the shallowest of the four dive sites that make up Flat Rock, which lies about 2.5 nautical miles north of Point Lookout off North Stradbroke Island. Flat Rock is a fully protected marine park with a no-fishing zone within 1.2 km of the reef, and the Nursery sits on its south-western corner. Depths run from 5 to 16 metres.

The focus here is on smaller creatures rather than the big fish and rays seen at the neighbouring sites, and the brilliant colours and formations make it feel alive with tiny animals, which is where the name comes from. Residents include nudibranchs and other micro-creatures, turtles, wobbegong sharks, eagle rays, barracuda and other large pelagics, octopus, eels, hard and soft corals and hundreds of tropical fish. Leopard sharks are seen from November to April.

There is often a small current, from minimal to medium, but divers use it as part of the dive and rarely have to swim against it. Visibility runs from 10 to 30 metres. It is a good place for beginner divers.