SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA: dive the Great Barrier Reef or try cage diving with the Great White Sharks for a big thrill. Review the dive centers listed for more information Read more: http://www.ediving.com/dives-divers-scuba-diving-in-australia-and-pacific/diving-in-australia/

1. SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA
• Introduction & Climate
• GREAT BARRIER REEF, WORLD’S LARGEST LIVING ORGANISM
• NINGALOO REEF, WORLD’S LARGEST FRINGING REEF
• SOUTH AUSTRALIA, CAGE DIVES WITH THE GREAT WHITE SHARK
• About the Author
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2. SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA
Dive the Great Barrier Reef or try cage diving with
the Great White Sharks for a big thrill
Being an island surrounded by 7 oceans and seas, animal and plant life in
Australia has grown to develop very particular characteristics.
The Pacific Ocean to the East, the Indian Ocean to the West, and the Southern
Ocean to the South are where the country’s best scuba diving is found.
Australia boasts the largest barrier reef in the world; the Great Barrier Reef,
and also the largest fringing reef in the world; Ningaloo. Diving off South
Australia is famous for the cage dives with great white sharks.
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3. GREAT BARRIER REEF, WORLD’S LARGEST
LIVING ORGANISM
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is located off the north-east coast of Australia.
Stretching over 1800 mi. (3000 km), this pristine coral reef ranges from the tip of
Cape York to the coastal town of Bundaberg; it is the world’s largest living
organism and has been named one of the seven natural wonders of the world
and listed as a World Heritage Site.
The GBR boasts about 2000 species of fish (including sharks and rays), over 400
species of coral, about 30 whale and dolphin species, and 6 of the world’s 7
species of sea turtles.
One of the best places to access the GBR is Cairns, however there are also great
spots leaving from Townsville, and the Whitsunday Islands and Heron Island a
little further south are also popular destinations on the reef.
One of the fish that divers go to the GBR to see is the Queensland grouper, which
grows up to lengths of 9 ft. (2.7 m) and can weigh up to 800 lbs. (400 kg).
Various species of the beautiful lionfish are also commonly seen in the reef, along
with humphead parrotfish, clownfish and many others.
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4. Another spectacular sighting is the giant clams, which can grow up to a meter and
weigh up to half a ton.
If you are there between June-August you can see the minke whales, and
between July-September you can see the humpback whales.
From Cairns you can travel a little further out from the GBR to reach the Coral Sea,
which is a remote coral reef that presents isolated pinnacles, cays, and an
abundance of marine fauna.
The Coral Sea has pristine waters, with an average visibility of 100 ft. (25 m.) and
up to 300 ft. (91 m.) in exceptional conditions.
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5. NINGALOO REEF, WORLD’S LARGEST
FRINGING REEF
The Ningaloo Marine Park forms the world’s largest fringing reef.
There is no shortage of dive sites within close range of Exmouth, the main
destination for divers wanting to visit the Ningaloo Reef.
A great dive close to home is the Exmouth Navy Pier Shore Dive where you will
see a huge range of stunning marine life including giant cods, nudibranchs,
moray eels and turtles among a massive range of fish.
Heading out into the Ningaloo Reef there are many great sites to choose from,
including walls, caves, and swim-throughs, and if you travel between March and
July you have a good chance of seeing a whale shark.
If you want to travel a little further, the Muiron Islands are situated a 45 min.
boat ride north of Ningaloo and present an array of marine wildlife including
potato cod, turtles, nurse sharks, soft coral gardens, and thousands of reef fish.
In the later months of the year you can see giant manta rays too.
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6. SOUTH AUSTRALIA, CAGE DIVES WITH THE
GREAT WHITE SHARK
Port Lincoln is a fishing town in South Australia, famous for its tuna fleet. There
are a lot of great dive sites in the area, the most famous being the
cage dives with the great white sharks.
If that’s not so much your style there are plenty of other animals to see in this
part of Australia.
Right in Port Lincoln you can dive the Town Jetty. In just 12 ft. (4 m.) of water
you can see spider crabs, octopus, nudibranchs and a lot of different species of
fish. A little further out is the Degei Shipwreck in 35 ft. (11 m.) of water where
you can see the endemic long-shouted boarfish as well as scorpionfish and
many invertebrates.
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7. At Hopkins Island you can dive with sea lions, and there are many
interesting dives with lots of caves and swim-throughs and it’s also home to a
large variety of fish species. These are just a few of the many dive sites to be
found in the bays, islands and other reefs off Port Lincoln. Sea dragons and
dolphins are often seen in these sights as well as beautiful corals.
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8. OTHER INFORMATION
COUNTRIES IN AUSTRALIA & PACIFIC
Australia / Fiji / French Polynesia / Hawaii / New Zealand
Read more: http://www.ediving.com/dives-divers-scuba-diving-in-
australia-and-pacific/diving-in-australia/#ixzz2LSXPanzc
To find & Book an hotel recommended by our Dive Operators:
http://www.ediving.com/hotels-for-scuba-divers/
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9. About the Author
Thomas SACCONE is a former
financial manager who discovered
scuba diving in Costa Rica in 2007.
Since then, he is only satisfied
when underwater.
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