Travel

A humpback whale mother and calf rest for a moment
 

While Australia as a whole is a spectacular natural playground, especially for underwater photographers, nowhere captures my heart like Lady Elliot Island. Perched at the very southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef on the eastern coast of the country, this eco-paradise rekindles my love for underwater photography year after year. The family-run Lady Elliot Eco Resort is warm and welcoming, but the real magic lies beneath the surface—vibrant reefs, endless marine life, and the freedom to explore this underwater wonderland at your own pace. Don’t forget, though, that the island is a major nesting ground for dozens of seabird species, so there will be plenty of wildlife around during the times you can tear yourself away from the underwater treasures.

Lady Elliot is one of the few places where hours in the water never feel enough. It’s no surprise Lonely Planet named it the world’s top snorkeling destination, and why you need to book a year ahead. Whether it’s mantas, whales, or turtles that draw you in, this island is pure magic—a place that sparks creativity and leaves you grateful to have witnessed it.

There are several iconic spots around the island that deliver very different and varied experiences. At the island’s southwest, the historic lighthouse, built in the late 1800s, acts as a beacon for divers and marine life alike. Early mornings often bring unforgettable encounters with marine megafauna like mantas, tiger sharks (a consistent sight thanks to Lady Elliot’s green turtle population), and even humpback whales making appearances. There is a cleaning station nearby, nearly guaranteeing manta interactions, and the site’s distance from shore is what makes the big-animal encounters so unpredictable with other species.

On the opposite end of the island, the northwest features an area aptly named Coral Gardens, which boasts pristine reefs, bommies, and fish-filled swim-throughs. I often drift between this site and Lighthouse (the island is small enough to do so) as the tides change. During one outing to Coral Gardens, a phytoplankton bloom drew dozens of mantas into a graceful, ballet-like feeding frenzy. Another morning, I shared the water with a humpback mother and calf, an experience I will be forever grateful for.

The east side of Lady Elliot is a haven for green turtles. They are everywhere! At sunset, it is easy to capture images of them as they cruise the shallows, illuminated by beautiful golden light. Octopuses, schools of colorful fish, bountiful macro life, and blacktip reef sharks make it very unlikely a diver, snorkeler, or photographer could ever get bored!
 

A day octopus perched atop a coral head in the shallows of Lady Elliot Island
 

Mantas are a superstar subject at Lady Elliot Island as the waters surrounding the island are home to numerous cleaning stations
 

Glassfish, too thick to see the reef, swarm all over a coral bommie
 

A needlefish, caught in a fishing buoy, becomes easy work for a blacktip reef shark
 

A freediver spends time with a green turtle as it heads towards the surface to breathe
 

A manta with a sheared off wing, likely from a boat strike, passes near a cleaning station
 

Green turtles are a staple of Lady Elliot—they are ubiquitous in the waters around the island
 

A friendly green turtle swims up to the camera to say hello
 

Aptly named convict surgeonfish school over a shallow reef
 

Humpback whales are seasonal visitors to Lady Elliot—here, a mother lifts her calf to the surface to breathe
 

A manta train (okay a manta pair) cruise the sunlit shallows
 

A green turtle swims just beneath the surface during a colorful sunset
 

A tropicbird and its adorably fluffy chick spend time together in the nest
 

A tern perched regally on a buoy, surveying his watery kingdom
 

Countless seabirds of numerous species take to the skies every day at sunrise