South Australia offers divers a unique glimpse into what lies beneath. Think leafy seadragons, sea lions, and giant cuttlefish. You can cage dive with Great White sharks, dive in amazing ancient limestone caves, and with over 700 shipwrecks in South Australia’s waters, there are plenty of wreck sites to explore. Advanced divers would probably get the most out of diving South Australia, as areas such as sinkholes and ponds require you to hold cave diver qualifications and a permit.

Adelaide has good sites for beginner divers, with a few suitable wreck dives. However, advanced wreck divers will be in heaven, with the ‘Adelaide Underwater Heritage Trail’ to explore. The Eyre Peninsula is a top spot for diving, boasting the Nuyts Archipelago, which is a group of 20 islands. The Eyre Peninsula also contains a wreck dive and a few popular jetty dives. From May to August, the Whyalla reef is a breeding ground for giant cuttlefish and there are sea lions aplenty at Baird Bay.

The Fleurieu Reef is found on Fleurieu Peninsula. Created in 2002, the Fleurieu reef contains the wreck of the ex-HMAS Hobart, offering an excellent wreck dive, with many parts of the ship accessible. The leafy or weedy seadragon, unique to South Australia, can also be spotted in this region, with the Rapid Bay jetty a leafy seadragon hang-out.

Kangaroo Island also has a Maritime Heritage Trail, and is another popular place to spot leafy seadragons. Kangaroo Island’s north coast is an ideal spot to see:

• sea lions,
• bottlenose-dolphins,
• soft corals
• and sponges.

For freshwater sinkhole and cave diving, head to the Limestone Coast. The most popular sinkholes are the Piccaninnie Ponds, Tank Cave, Ewens Pond, the Shaft; and Kilsby’s Sinkhole. Be aware that permits are required for some of the cave dive sites. Yorke Peninsula contains plenty more wreck dives and maritime heritage trails. The Troubridge Shoals are found in the strait between Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. Containing six of the area’s earliest wrecks, the shoals have been responsible for over 33 shipwrecks! Due to the weather conditions, this area contains sites that are only suitable for advanced divers.

Cage diving with Great White sharks has been possible in South Australia since the ‘70s. Adrenaline junkies can embark on this incredible adventure in the waters around the North and South Neptune Islands and the appropriately named ‘Dangerous Reef’, which is off the Southern Eyre Peninsula.

East Coast Diving

New South Wales

Queensland

West Australia

Northern Territory

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