Manly
Explore SydneySydney is located in New South Wales and is one of the biggest cities in Australia. It
Explore Sydney
Sydney is located in New South Wales and is one of the biggest cities in Australia. It is well known for its Opera House, Harbour Bridge and zoo with animal encounters - on dry land. The scuba diving here is often overlooked in favour of the more famous diving on the Great Barrier Reef to the north, but it has some excellent diving of its own.
Of all the big cities in Australia, Sydney has the highest marine biodiversity and biggest diving scene. The year round diving opportunities here are taken advantage of by tourists and locals alike. Over 600 marine animals have been identified in the waters here, with surely many more to be discovered.
There are plenty of dive centers in Sydney, mainly towards the coast in Manly, Coogee and Bondi. Most of these offer dive courses from beginner right up to professional levels. There are no dive resorts as the centers are all based in busy areas. Liveaboards also do not operate here as the ocean conditions, particularly in winter, can be tempestuous.
The diving here is generally colder than the northern waters but you can be assured that the diving is just as colourful. Highlights include bright reefs, covered in corals, wreck diving for the more advanced divers and marine mammal encounters. Grey nurse sharks, wobbegong sharks and fur seals patrol many sites here, even great white sharks have been seen on dives. During the right season you may even be lucky enough to hear the song of humpback whales migrating through the deep water around these dive sites.
Places to explore
Dive Activity
Diving in Sydney
The diving in Sydney is diverse and can be catered to a variety of levels of divers. Many of the dives here are reef dives which can be accessed from the shore, perfect for beginners. Bare Island is a great example of this, hosting several reef dives suitable for beginners in the calm, protected eastern shore.
There are some fabulous wall dives in the area such as The Colours at South Head. The vibrancy of the gorgonian fans which litter the wall are the reason for the name. Other such dive sites echo the bright colours of the reefs - the cooler water found here encourages healthy corals to flourish.
A number of wrecks can be found here, perfect for a variety of levels. The SS Tuggerah is 45m deep so ideal for technical divers or experienced wreck divers. There is also the HMAS Adelaide, suitable for most other divers.
Certain sites offer swim throughs and caves, such as The Apartments and South West Rocks. A number of the sites can also be dived as drifts in the right conditions. Shelly Beach is known as a muck diving destination with plenty in the blue to keep everyone occupied.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Sydney
The over 600 species of marine species in these waters will keep even the most experienced divers entertained for dive after dive. Whether benthic species, fish or large mammals are your thing, there is plenty to see!
Upon the reef, there is lots of macro species to keep photographers busy. Nudibranch are rampant here and there are several very rare species such as the donut nembrotha. Pygmy pipehorses and seahorses nestle within seaweed and reward the sharp eyed. For cephalopod lovers, there are octopus (including the famous, and poisonous, blue ringed octopus) and cuttlefish - even the stunning flamboyant. One of the most famous finds in Sydney’s waters are the rare weedy sea dragons which reside here. Also on the reef are frogfish, moray eels, green turtles and blue grouper.
Some sites feature schools of fish, particularly the wreck sites in deeper water. Shoals of silvery fish such as red Indians, bream, ascidians, silver sweep and sea pike fill the water with their darting bodies, moving as one. Other large fish include king fish, angler fish, leatherjackets, yellowtails and sergeant bakers.
For those interested in larger animals, you will not be disappointed. A number of sharks are known here such as the Port Jackson shark, dusky whaler sharks, grey nurse sharks and the bizarre looking wobbegongs. Great whites frequent the waters but are rarely seen by divers.
Electric rays, fiddler rays, cow rays and eagle rays sometimes glide past in the blue. Mola mola have been seen here when the water is cold, but rarely. Fur seals are encountered sometimes and they are generally very playful with divers! Southern Right whales and humpbacks migrate through the bay and, though they swim too deep for divers to see, their haunting song can sometimes be heard.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
119 Sightings
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22
F
14
M
26
A
8
M
7
J
5
J
4
A
12
S
0
O
0
N
8
D
13
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
103 Sightings
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21
F
11
M
6
A
4
M
7
J
4
J
3
A
11
S
0
O
8
N
20
D
8
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
73 Sightings
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11
F
11
M
9
A
2
M
3
J
2
J
2
A
12
S
0
O
3
N
8
D
10
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 3000
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Nudibranch
189 Sightings
J
24
F
16
M
11
A
9
M
10
J
8
J
10
A
22
S
12
O
15
N
31
D
21
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 80
iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays
160 Sightings
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38
F
22
M
9
A
6
M
2
J
2
J
0
A
14
S
5
O
8
N
32
D
22
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 250
Shutterstock-Henry_and_Laura_Whittaker
Grouper/Basslets
146 Sightings
J
22
F
11
M
9
A
11
M
12
J
8
J
8
A
13
S
6
O
11
N
26
D
9
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 120
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Cuttlefish
91 Sightings
J
11
F
12
M
6
A
2
M
5
J
8
J
5
A
11
S
6
O
7
N
6
D
12
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 250
iStock-Miguel-Angelo-Silva.
Scorpionfish
86 Sightings
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12
F
11
M
12
A
6
M
8
J
0
J
2
A
11
S
3
O
6
N
6
D
9
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 90
Shutterstock-Levent Konuk
Goatfish
77 Sightings
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14
F
7
M
8
A
2
M
4
J
4
J
6
A
13
S
0
O
6
N
6
D
7
iStock-Nigel Marsh
Wobbegong
56 Sightings
J
11
F
14
M
5
A
3
M
0
J
4
J
2
A
0
S
0
O
1
N
6
D
10
The best Months to dive in Sydney
Diving in Sydney is possible all year round. It has a subtropical climate with generally mild temperatures. The most popular time to dive is during the summer months as they are warmer but winter conditions can be just as good - if colder.
The summer months (November - March) are generally very warm with average temperatures around 27°C or so. There is still rainfall during the summer but the ground can dry out very quickly, leading to the national blight - wildfires. The water temperatures in summer have highs of 25°C, necessitating at least a 3mm long wetsuit for most people.
The winter months between May and September have colder temperatures. The air temperatures average at 17°C with an annual low of 9°C. The water temperatures are 17°C throughout the months of June - November. Though this is cold (many people require a 7mm wetsuit in these temperatures), the diving is still good. Winter storms can bring in strong, cold, southerly winds however which may cause conditions to halt diving in some locations due to surge and wave height. These are also the most common months to hear humpback whales as they migrate - first north to birth their young and then back south to feed in the Antarctic. Though rare to see them, you might be lucky enough to hear their melodies.
