July 2007. Heron Island is one of the few places on the Great Barrier Reef where you can actually stay on the reef. The small island is located about 70 km off the coast of Gladstone and lies right on the Tropic of Capricorn. There is a resort on the island with moderate to very nice rooms. For details please look at the official Heron Island webpage. There you will also find a map of the dive sites. The dive operator on the island offers three trips per day, two in the morning and one in the afternoon (July 2007). All dive sites are reached within a couple of minutes with a small open dive boat. The crew is friendly and the place not too crowded, in average 3 - 5 divers per trip. The dive sites are quite shallow, maximum depth is in general below 20 m. Depending on the tides there can be strong currents. The visibility is in average 10 – 20 m. In winter (July) the water temperature is about 21°C and the air can be chilly, especially in the mornings. A 5 mm or 7 mm wet suit including hood is recommended.