Guide to Diving Australia… The thing about scuba diving in Australia is that well… it’s a big place! With a lot of options, some of which are good, while some are less so. And some are just plain tourist traps.
Simply stated, there is some tremendous scuba diving in Australia. But it is a vast island continent that almost touches the equator in the north. With an eastern coast swept by the rich currents of the Pacific Ocean. And a western coast that receives similar treatment from the Indian Ocean.
While, to the far south is the Antarctic with the cold waters of the Southern Ocean feeding the Great Australian Bight. Combine all that with the total coastline of almost 36,000 km… And you can appreciate just how many places there are to choose from!
Guide to Diving Australia
It would take several lifetimes to try and experience first-hand what Australia has to offer underwater. And, there is some very slick marketing being used in the Australian dive industry… All of which combines to making it quite difficult to decide where to spend your hard earned dollars, euros or whatever…
I have been an Australian resident/citizen since 1994. And while I spend a lot of time diving outside the country, I have also managed to dive many of the best places in Australia multiple times. Detailed below is what I have personally experienced, illustrated by the images I took while having those experiences.
A Guide to Diving Australia
Australian Scuba Diving – An Overview
Australian Great White Sharks
Australian Grey Nurse Sharks
Australian Giant Cuttlefish Aggregation
Australian Giant Cuttlefish… Each year, as the southern winter approaches, one of the world’s most extraordinary marine events unfolds in the shallow, cold waters of South Australia’s Spencer Gulf. In a remote corner of the coastline, thousands of Australian Giant Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) …
Australian Leafy Seadragons
Australian Leafy Seadragons… Australia is famous for its iconic and often strange-looking creatures, both above and below the water. However, few are as unique or visually spectacular as the Australian Leafy Seadragon (Phycodurus eques). Known locally as “leafies,” these delicate fish are …
Diving Edithburgh Jetty
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 …
Diving Rapid Bay Jetty
Diving Rapid Bay Jetty… These two large, side-by-side, jetties in Rapid Bay on the Fleurieu Peninsula are possibly the most popular shore dive in South Australia! Their convenient location, some 100km south of the state capital Adelaide, together with their sheltered position and great marine …
Diving Nelson Bay
Diving Nelson Bay… Every region seems to have at least one… In Indonesia it would have to be the Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi. And in Papua New Guinea it’s either Dinah’s Beach or Samarai Jetty in Milne Bay. While over in Florida it is West Palm Beach’s Blue Heron Bridge. Here in New South …
A Guide to Diving Tasmania
Diving Tasmania… The “Apple Isle” is, in so many ways, the hidden gem of Australian scuba diving. And getting to know a bit more about it has been one of the highlights of my personal diving career! There really is a lot to see underwater around Tasmania. But the reality is you would need a …