The Most Breathtaking Dive Locations in Australia

Scuba diving is magical and allows us to enter another world. The reality of this world slowly disappears as you sink into the murky depths of a forgotten realm full of alien creatures, colorful coral, and captivating views. Scuba diving is one of the best, easiest and cheapest adventure sports in the world. And Australia is one of the best countries in the world to enjoy it.

The land down under has plenty of pristine coasts, coral reefs, and fish life to see. From wreck dives to the Great Barrier Reef to exotic fish life to swimming with great whites, Australia has dives that will entice everyone from beginners to daredevils. 

Great Barrier Reef

Of course, the main diving spot in Australia is the one and only, Great Barrier Reef. This natural wonder of the world is massive, filled with impressive and different kinds of dive sites. In all honestly, it is hard to go wrong when selecting a dive site on the Great Barrier Reef. However, there are some that are spectacular. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Osprey Reef - What makes Osprey Reef special? Good question. The three top reasons to dive in this part of the Great Barrier Reef are visibility, sharks, and diverse ocean species inhabiting the reef. On any given day in Osprey Reef, you can see pelagic fish, potato cod, tuna, and hammerhead sharks. That is an impressive lineup for any scuba dive!

Ribbon Reefs - If you want to see the Great Barrier Reef at its best, then head to Ribbon Reef. Dive sites like Steve’s Bommie  and Challenger Bay are great if you want to see the best coral and large schools of fish. A couple of the popular fish species living in these sites includes surgeonfish, frogfish, potato cod, and leaf scorpionfish.

Lizard Island

This stunning island isn’t as popular as some of the other reefs in Australia because of the planning and effort it takes to get there. However, the dives are untouched and of all the possibilities, this location is my personal favorite.  

Dynamite Passage – This area has the best coral around Lizard Island. During a dive, expect to see garden eels, cuttlefish, and reef sharks. It is a beautiful dive that can take you down to 90 feet.  Plus, the wild and rocky terrain on this dive sets it apart from all the other dives in the Great Barrier Reef.  

This is a shallow dive, which means you can get the full experience with only an open water license. A few of the highlights are eels, harmless nurse sharks, and octopus, which are one of my favorite animals to see diving.

Other Dive Sites in Australia

While the Great Barrier Reef has some of the most breathtaking dive spots in Australia, there are many other fantastic spots to see wildlife and wreaks, as well as push your limits. 

Here are some of the most breathtaking dive spots in Australia that are not on the Great Barrier Reef.

Ayr, Queensland

For wreck diving enthusiasts, Ayr is most likely on your bucket list.  It is quite an experience to dive down through the tragic remains of the SS Yongala. This ship sunk nearly 50 years ago and is now part of an artificial reef that is teeming with wildlife. Here you will enjoy sea snakes, turtles, rays, and more. The SS Yongala is a must for scuba divers when visiting Australia.

Kangaroo Island

While the name doesn’t scream amazing scuba diving, this island has some of the best dives in Australia outside the Great Barrier Reef. Over 270 different types of fish live on the north side of the island; one of them being the endangered Leafy Sea Dragon. Kangaroo Island is definitely worth the journey and often pods of dolphins and groups of seals will usually join the divers.

Port Lincoln

Push yourself to the limit with this dive as you come eye to eye with one of the scariest predators on the planet. Diving with great whites might sound a little crazy, and maybe it is!  However, it is one of the most exciting and adrenaline-pumping scuba dives in the entire world. The best place in Australia for diving with great whites is Port Lincoln.

Australia has no shortage of clear waters, mesmerizing coral, and amazing sea creatures. For divers, this means venturing into the depths of the world into another that most people never have a chance to experience. These are the most breathtaking dives in Australia that will leave you with incredible memories.

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