Australia is often referred to as the ‘lucky country’, and it’s no wonder given the amazing locations we have both on and off the shore. Australia’s shores are home to sea creatures and marine life found nowhere else in the world, and can be quite the experience when encountered close up. The Land Down Under is home to more than 4,000 species of fish and 1,700 different types of coral, plus 80% of our wildlife existing nowhere else in the world.
Best of all, many Australian dive locations can be reached with just an open water dive ticket. From colourful coral reefs in our northern tropical waters to enormous underwater kelp forests located off the southern coast, scuba diving off the Australian coast is a weird, wonderful and out of this world experience. Here is snippet of what you can expect to see whilst exploring the deep.
Australian Sea Lion
This endangered Australian animal is only found in South Australia and West Australian waters. The total population of these animals is believed to be less than 12,000, which makes the Australian sea lion one of the rarest of its kind in the world.
Great Barrier Reef
As one of the most popular dive destinations in the country, the Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 2000 kilometres off the coast of Queensland and collectively houses over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. In this extensive underwater area, scuba divers can expect to find an abundance of marine life including an excess of 1,500 species of fish, 17 types of sea snakes, and six species of sea turtles.
Ningaloo Reef
As the world’s largest fringing reef, the Ningaloo Reef is renowned for its whale shark migration and feedings. Located in tropical waters off the northwest coast of Western Australia, the reef spans 300 kilometres and possesses one of the most biologically diverse marine environments on the planet. Scuba divers can experience over 250 species of coral and 500 species of fish. As the Ningaloo Reef is relatively close to shore, it makes the popular WA dive location one of the most accessible coral reef destinations.
South West Dive Locations
Not only is Southern WA known for its magnificent views and beaches, it is also home to one third of the world’s whale and dolphin species. With the discovery of 46 new shark species in WA, it’s an excellent place to visit if you want to experience swimming with the ‘dogs of the deep’. From dwarf spotted wobbegongs and whiskey sharks to dusky whalers – 24 species of these sharks are believed to live nowhere else on Earth.
Australia not only is home to great dive destinations, it also is an excellent place to get your open water certification or further your dive training with an advance course. Dolphin Scuba provides a range of scuba diving courses, from beginner level all the way up to advanced and technical dive certifications. Our scuba diving courses are PADI accredited, meaning our students will receive world class training from our team of qualified dive instructors.
For more information on our scuba dive courses and advanced certifications, please call Dolphin HQ on 08 9353 2488, or stop by our Welshpool dive shop any day of the week.
