Snake Pit

Snake Pit is a reef dive site near Lizard Island on the Ribbon Reefs, regularly visited by liveaboard vessels operating out of Cairns. The site sits in relative isolation from surrounding reefs, with depths ranging from 10 m to 30 m.

The reef takes its name from the resident population of Olive sea snakes that live here in numbers. Because Olive sea snakes are not deep-water swimmers, they remain close to the reef structure, making encounters with them frequent and predictable — and worth treating with respect, as they are venomous.

The site's position off the continental shelf, with little between it and the shelf edge, creates an open corridor for large pelagic species. Sharks, barracuda, and tuna all pass through, making Snake Pit notable for combining reef residents with open-water visitors in the same dive.