COOK ISLAND MARINE RESERVE
Cook Island is NSW's northernmost permanent aquatic reserve established to protect biodiversity and a range of habitats. Cook Island is one of just a few NSW islands. It's located approximately 600 metres offshore from Fingal Head and four kilometres south-east of Tweed Heads in northern NSW.
Cook Island Aquatic Reserve covers 78 hectares. It includes the waters within and around Cook Island to a 500-metre radius from a survey marker on the 4.6-hectare island. The reserve protects the marine biodiversity of the island's reef system.
Home to a wide raging and diverse ecosystem Cook Island offers a dive site in almost any conditions provided you can get the boat out of the mouth of the Tweed River. Cook Island is a great spot to dive with turtles and is a site enjoyed by Open Water diver students as well as experienced divers due to it's wide variety of marine life.
Since becoming a marine reserve fish numbers have increased as a result in the decline of spearfishing activities at the island.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
This dive site is suitable for snorkelling and diver training at all levels, divers should be aware that strong currents can be present and commonsense should be applied.
Depth - Northern Wall 5-18m Southern Wall 5-12m
Access to this site is by boat only.
MARINE LIFE
Cook Island is host to the following
- Turtles
- Leopard sharks (warmer months)
- Grey Nurse sharks
- Lion Fish
- Spanish Dancers
- Nudibranchs
- Moray Eels
- Hard and Soft Corals
- Crayfish
- Cone Shells
- Mantis Shrimp
- Bat Fish
- Anenome Fish
- Starfish
This is not an exhaustive list but just to name a few