Plate Top on Norman Reef

Plate Top on Norman Reef is a great shallow water snorkeling site, combined with a sandy gully between two reef walls for divers.  There’s a map on the SeaQuest page.  In and around the boulders of the reef walls you’ll find plenty to see.

Most fish are quite hard to identify if they face you directly, as it’s hard to see any tell tale spots and stripes.

If you sit quietly for long enough though – they’ll turn sideways on like this coral grouper (squaretail I believe)

The blue faced angelfish is pretty easy to identify.  Found nowhere else in Australia except the Great Barrier Reef.

Parrotfish are plentiful on the reef, and you can often hear them before you see them as they smack into the coral and rip the algae from it. Very colourful and photogenic fish.

Butterflyfish are another species of fish that are a magnet for my camera lens.  There seems to be an infinite variety, though in fact there are probably about a dozen varieties found on the reef.

Still, I usually need to double check something like the lined, above, whereas the Dot and Dash below is unmistakable (and has a memorable name).

Another fish with a memorable name on this site at Plate Top is the Lined Surgeon (captured here with a six bar wrasse behind him).

Finally fish, identifiable by a distinct feature: in this case the unicornfish’s horn.  Look very carefully at the photo and you’ll see a short stubbie horn. This one is a blue spine.  (Note that you can open all photos on this site by right-clicking and saving, or opening in a new tab; then you can zoom in).

On top of the coral is a fish both easy to photograph and identify: the hawkfish lies still looking about for a passing nibble.  Look around whilst you’re doing the safety stop.

As you return to the boat, you’ll often find a couple of curious batfish just hanging around.