Every anglers' dream, the world renowned Ribbon Reefs, are just 40 km away with the Continental Shelf just beyond.
Here, in the home of the legendary giant black marlin, the waters are so clear that you can actually see fish taking the bait. Juvenile black marlin and sailfish are prolific to these waters from April to August. Blue marlin, mahi-mahi, and large Pacific sailfish can be caught from November until March with wahoo and dogtooth tuna present year-round. Excellent catches of coral trout, barramundi cod, red emperor, large and small nannygai, trevally and shark are common.
Excellent charter boats are available for half day to extended trips on a share or sole use basis. Drive or snorkel the best reefs in the far north - there are tunnels and caves to explore and superb water clarity.
Lizard Island with its spectacular Blue Lagoon and clam gardens on Mrs. Watson's Bay is within easy reach of Cooktown by air or sea. A spectacular array of fish and both hard and soft corals are to be found. Camping on Lizard Island is permitted in limited numbers, whilst a resort caters to the more exclusive visitor.
