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 couple of months, together with a significant budget to explore it all. My dive buddy and I only had a couple of weeks… So we reached out to various local divers to get their recommendations. This is what we learned about the “must do” locations. And, looking back I think we got it about right. But first of all let’s start with why …
Australia
Australian dive locations and information
The Great White Shark Down Under
The Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias is one of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures. Superbly evolved, they are truly an apex predator. But, unlike their terrestrial equivalents, there is very little reverence for them. Instead, and they have become widely demonized as brutal man-eaters that silently prowl our coastal waters. In a seemingly perpetual search for victims and then pouncing with ruthless and terrifying efficiency. And it is true that great whites have been held responsible for more deaths of swimmers, surfers, and divers than any other shark. But what is the reality about these creatures? Are they really …
Australian Great White Shark Diving
Australian Great White Shark Diving - Our great brown land down-under, is known for many things... The beaches, the Red Centre, the Great Barrier Reef and the seemingly endless supply of dangerous creatures… However, few of those creatures are considered as terrifying, intimidating and downright BIG as the great white shark. White pointers, as they are often referred to locally, are portrayed as brutally efficient, man-eating monsters. Which constantly patrol our coastlines looking for unsuspecting swimmers and surfers. Much like Freddy Krueger stalks Elm Street looking for victims to participate in the latest nightmare! And when …
Australian Leafy Seadragons
The Incredible Australian Leafy Seadragon... Australia is famous for its many iconic and often strange looking creatures. Both above and below the water, but few are as unique and visually spectacular as the Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus eques). Known locally as “leafies”, they are endemic to the southern and western coasts of Australia. But are most strongly associated with South Australia, where they have been adopted as the state’s marine emblem. Timid creatures that grow to between 20 and 24 cm in length. They use their ornate leaf-like appendages as incredibly effective camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. Becoming …
The Amazing Australian Giant Cuttlefish
The Amazing Australian Giant Cuttlefish - The first ones start to appear in early May, as the southern hemisphere autumn fades away and the winter months loom. Initially they just blend in with the abundant seagrass. And, to the casual observer, there is little to indicate what will happen over the next three to four weeks… But as June approaches and the water temperature drops below 17°C, things change rapidly as the full aggregation is triggered. By the middle of month, tens of thousands of Sepia apama will have gathered in the only known “dense aggregation” of spawning cuttlefish in the world. One that has been called the “the …
Australian Grey Nurse Shark Article
Grey Nurse Shark Article... Really pleased to see my article published recently in the global diving magazine X-Ray. The story of what has been done to the Australian Grey Nurse shark is a pretty sad one... But it is one that needs to be told. It really is unbelievable how we humans do so much damage to the underwater world. In the case of the Australian Grey Nurse shark we have taken to the edge of potential future extinction. All because it is a big animal and looks pretty fierce, when the truth is they are basically harmless to humans! The article explains the history of the Grey Nurse shark and how it was relentlessly persecuted …
Photographing Great White Sharks
Great White Shark cage diving is one of those "must do" experiences for most underwater photographers. My first trip however was not exactly a qualified success, as we spent 7 days out at the Neptune Islands in South Australia and did not see a single shark. But I really enjoyed the overall experience and was determined to go back. That was back in 1996 and it turned out to be another 7 years before I actually did so, but over the next few years I did several trips and experienced numerous up close & personal encounters with the "apex predator". It really is a unique …
Australian Grey Nurse Sharks – SportDiving
The Australian Grey Nurse Shark is a large and distinctive animal that has suffered greatly from the widely held perception that is a man-eater and is now one of the most critically endangered species in the country. Now protected in Australia its slow rate of reproduction means that the Australian Grey Nurse Shark is fighting what is quite possibly a losing battle to restore its numbers to anywhere near what they used to be just 40 years ago. This article documents the persecution, protection and conservation plus diving with Grey Nurse Sharks in Australia and was published in SportDiving. Download the complete SportDiving article …