No.11 MARION REEF

White tip reef shark via Nikonos 80mm lens at Marion Reef.

Marion became the favorite destination for shark photography during the late 1970s.  American cameraman were shown the locations to dive by Captain Wally Muller.  Two Hollywood-funded productions were "Shark;s Treasure" with veteran actor-producer Cornel Wilde, and later "The Deep" with cameraman Al Giddings and stunt divers Jack McKenney and Chuck Nicklin.+

Many underwater images and video have been recorded at Marion Reef.  Sea snakes were prolific here too.  The coral formations are different to other reefs but it takes an expert to spot this.

Water visibility can be spectacularly clear also.  I measured 250 foot visibility the dive the above shark picture was taken.  i.e. Coralita was 80 feet in length, 100 feet of anchor chain had been let out and I was 50 feet or more behind the boat and could see the anchor up ahead.  An hour previously the water had been a brown color.  Currents and clear water example.

(Post under construction)

Captain Wally Muller watching grey reef sharks circling his boat at Marion Reef.  His T-shirt is a production member shirt from The Deep which obtained their very dramatic and made-to-measure shark sequences at Marion Reef.
Further south and offshore from the The Swains Reefs is "Little Marion Reef" (which would have a different 'official' name today).

Requires an ID by an expert.