Australia’s best scuba spots

Scuba diving in Australia is synonymous with the Great Barrier Reef, and for good reason – the world’s largest coral reef stretches almost 2,000 km along the Queensland coast, comprising more than 3,000 individual reef systems and hundreds of tropical islands. Here you’ll find more than 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of tropical fish – even giant clams that are 120 years old. But it’s not the only diving destination in the Land of Oz. Here are some of the best scuba spots around:

Ningaloo, Western Australia – This spot is home to more than 250 types of coral and 500 species of fish. Between April and June, you might even be able to spot the whale shark – the world’s largest fish.

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria – Just an hour’s drive from Melbourne, you can dive with dolphins, explore underwater cliffs and caves, and even spot submerged WWI submarines.

East Coast Dive Trail, Tasmania – The rugged island of Tasmania offers 11 dive spots along its east coast with visibility up to 40 metres under clear turquoise waters.

Baird Bay, South Australia – Here you can spot endangered sea lions and bottlenosed dolphins. Or, for the more daring, try cage diving with great white sharks in nearby Port Lincoln.

Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory – History buffs can explore moss-covered shipwrecks from WWII air raids. The harbour is also known for its flamingo sunsets, so take the plunge in the early evening as the sun sets over the water.

Gordon’s Bay and Clovelly, New South Wales – Gordon’s Bay features a 500-metre underwater nature trail and Clovelly offers diving amongst schools of rainbow fish, bream, snapper, kingfish and giant cuttlefish.

Stay tuned – in my next blog, I’ll cover off some diving companies in Australia that offer PADI open water diving courses, snorkelling and boat trips.

Photo Credit: Tourism Queensland, Tourism Australia

7 places are mentioned in this post!

1. Great Barrier Reef
2. Ningaloo WA
3. Mornington Peninsula National Park
4. Tasmania
5. Baird Bay SA
6. Hanuman Restaurant Darwin
   Capture the true flavours of Darwin’s multicultural community and
7. Clovelly NSW

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