North Solitary Island

Anemone Bay, Fish Soup, Bubble cave. This Island has some unique sites…!!

North Solitary Islands is 25Nm north of Coffs Harbour and is often referred to as the “big” island.

North Solitary Island offers it’s own special sites, like “Anemone Bay” with it’s blanket cover of anemones and clownfish and “Fish Soup” with it’s abundant fishlife.

We run Charter Scuba Dive trips to North Solitary Island on an “as needs basis”, with about 75 minute boat trip each way.
This means that sea conditions must be suitable for a long trip. With these trips, we can easily dive 3 dives (using 2 tanks, with 1 tank doing 2 x 30 minute dives on the last two). North Solitary looking from the northeast

Anemone Bay..

Reported to have the largest population of clown fish in anemones on the Australian coast, this is an interesting location.
Located on the northern side of North Solitary Island, Anemone Bay is large enough to hide from southerly swells and protect the anemone beds.

Hazards or Dangers

North Solitary looking from the north east Currents: Depending on the East Australian current, North Solitary Island can be exposed to quite strong currents, this can make it difficult to start and finish the dive in the same location.
The current usually heads from north to south around the island, and can be too strong to swim against. Anemone Bay, on a small current day, is a good location to dive from start to finish, but be careful not to wander too wide or a drift dive will be on. Beware! The current at this point can swing divers around the Eastern side of North Solitary, not the side to drift dive, usually!
Be careful if you are diving from a boat without a surface watch! We do not recommend this in this area with that current!

We usually operate our charter Dive Trips to be outside of the currents areas when there is that problem!