Diving Edithburgh Jetty… Located on the southeastern tip of the Yorke Peninsula, the small town of Edithburgh is home to what is arguably the crown jewel of South Australian jetty diving. Known affectionately to the local dive community as “Edith,” this site ranks as a “must-do” for any diver visiting Australia.
If you can swing a mid-week trip, you may have this underwater cathedral all to yourself.
The History: From Salt Port to Marine Sanctuary
Built in 1873 to facilitate the export of locally produced salt to New Zealand and beyond, the jetty once made Edithburgh the third busiest port in South Australia.
Chosen for its proximity to Adelaide – just across the Gulf of St. Vincent – the planners unintentionally created a biological masterpiece.
Unbeknownst to them, the jetty sits perfectly within the Great Southern Reef. The structure acts as a “petri dish,” catching the nutrient-rich upwellings of the Leeuwin and Flinders Currents.
The result is a stunning explosion of biodiversity that thrives beneath the planks of the jetty.
The low and wide shape of Edithburgh jetty means that very little direct sunlight reaches beneath it.
So photosynthesizing plants like kelp and algae are relegated to the outer pylons.
While filter feeding invertebrates like sponges and ascidians can completely dominate the central areas. Those nutrient rich upwellings do the rest!
Diving Edithburgh Jetty – First Impressions…
The journey to Edithburgh begins with a three-hour drive from Adelaide. The scenery is a mix of vaguely vanilla landscapes and the vast, flat expanses of the Yorke Peninsula’s wheat fields.
Once you arrive, Edithburgh feels like a place where time has slowed down. It’s neat, tidy, and safe—but a word to the wise: if you need to eat after 20:00, bring your own supplies, as the town settles in early!
Pylons: A Vertical Ecosystem
While the initial pylon growth near the shore seems sparse, the magic happens about a third of the way down the 170m length.
Where, as the currents hit the structure, the density of life triples.
Sponge Diversity: Over 30 identified species.
Filter Feeders: A kaleidoscope of colonial ascidians, bryozoans, and sea squirts.
The “Shadow” Effect: Because the jetty is low and wide, very little sunlight reaches the center. Which allows filter-feeding invertebrates to dominate the central pylons, while kelp and algae are pushed to the sunlit outer edges.
Diving Edithburgh Jetty – What to Look For
Edithburgh Jetty is renowned for its “bucket list” marine life.
Australian Leafy Seadragon: These serene creatures are often found in the corkweed patches to the north of the jetty or drifting near the end pylons.
Striped Pyjama Squid: Usually buried in the sand during the day, these photogenic cephalopods emerge at night to hunt and mate.
Decorator Crabs: The decorator crabs (Majoidea) are common under the jetty and make great subjects with their incredible stuck on appendages. Plus, they will often remain motionless when approached, convinced they are invisible in their special camouflage!
Blue-Ringed Octopus: Keep a close watch on fallen pylons and debris, especially during night dives, when these tiny but potent hunters emerge.
Logistics and Planning Your Dive
Diving Edithburgh Jetty is quite straightforward, provided you watch the weather.
Depth: Depends on the tides, but about 2m at the stairs to around 8m at the end of the jetty.
Entry/Exit: There are excellent stairs on both the North and South sides near to the start of the jetty.
Best Winds: From the west or south-west – the jetty is nicely sheltered by the bottom of the Yorke Peninsula, which means excellent conditions at Edithburgh.
Worst Winds: From the east or south-east across the Gulf of St Vincent and right on to the jetty. Makes entry and exit on the stairs challenging at best, dangerous at worst plus the underwater visibility will be greatly reduced.
Visibility: Excellent in west winds, poor when the bottom is stirred by easterlies.
Night Diving at Edithburgh
During the day, the jetty changes subtly as the sun waxes and wanes. Mid-morning and late afternoon, when the sun is still low and its rays can penetrate under the jetty are my personal favorite times to be in the water.
But while the jetty is beautiful by day, it truly “turns on” after dark. Those pyjama squid and blue-ringed octopus that were buried in the sand during the day are out and highly active at night, as are a tremendous variety of other creatures.
The shallow depth allows for really long bottom times (often 90+ minutes), giving you ample time to observe the complex behaviors of hunting octopuses and mating squid.
Essential Logistics
Air Fills: The local BP service station has a compressor and although online rumors persist about air quality, I have never had any problems and neither has anybody else I know personally.
Gear: The nearest full-service dive shop is in Adelaide so bring your spares…
Accommodation: The local caravan park has good cabins, but they fill up fast with “fishos” (Australian for people who like to fish…). There is a motel. but personally I have found that AirBnB is the best option.
Food: The Edithburgh and Troubridge Hotels are your go-to spots, but remember… last orders are around 19:45.
Weekends and Public Holidays: Edithburgh gets a lot of local divers from Adelaide – so there can be queues to get refills and accommodation can get booked out.
Diving Edithburgh Jetty – Final Thoughts…
South Australia offers some of the best diving in Australia, and Edithburgh Jetty is easily in the top five. Whether you are a macro photographer or a casual observer, the sheer fecundity of the Great Southern Reef is on full display here.
Getting to know it all over a series of dives is what I really enjoyed about diving Edithburgh. It is such an easy yet great dive, where you can spend hours underwater each time you get in. So you can really get to know the place and where everything is.
Dive it slow, dive it often, and try to catch it on a Tuesday – you won’t regret it!
