With more than 4,700 kilometres (or 2,900 miles) of beautiful, wilderness coastline and uncrowded, pristine beaches across South Australia, there are plenty of amazing marine experiences to be had both under, on top of and beside the sea. From swimming with sea lions and tuna, to shark cage diving and whale watching.
Embark on one of the following aquatic adventures:
- Dive with Great White Sharks – Calypso Star Charters on the Eyre Peninsula offers one day cage diving tours to Neptune Island where visitors get to come face to face with the incredible great white sharks. This is one of only three locations in the world that offers cage diving with the sharks in their natural habitat. The new Spectator Day Package is ideal for anyone who prefers the idea of seeing the great whites from the comfort of the MV Calypso Star.
- Step out on the Seafood and Aquaculture Trail – Discover how the Eyre Peninsula accounts for 65 per cent of the country’s world-class seafood on Australia’s only extensive aquaculture trail. There are many different tours and tasting experiences available as part of the self-drive Seafood and Aquaculture Trail, stretching from Whyalla to Ceduna along the pristine coastline of the Eyre Peninsula, with fine dining guaranteed along the way.
- Swim with Blue Fin Tuna and Sea Lions – Adventure Bay Charters offers once in a lifetime experiences seeing abundant marine life in its natural environment. Daily tours take visitors to a purpose built commercial tuna farm, where you can swim with blue fin tuna. Adventure Bay Charters also offers tours to swim and interact with Australian sea lions.
- Snorkel the ‘Cuttlefish Capital of the World’ – Whyalla on the Eyre Peninsula has been crowned the “Cuttlefish Capital of the World” thanks to the hundreds of thousands of giant cuttlefish that gather to spawn in and around a small area along the rocky shores of Black Point and Point Lowly between May and August each year. Whyalla Eco Tours offers a three hour tour, where visitors can scuba dive or snorkel with these chameleon-like creatures.
- See the Southern Right Whale Migration – Head of Bight, on South Australia’s remote far west coast, is famous for its land based viewing of the magnificent southern right whales. This unique spectacle occurs between May and October every year, as the southern right whales undertake their annual migration from the Southern Ocean. Other species occasionally seen from the viewing platform include Australian sea lions and the great white shark.
- Take a Guided Penguin Tour or Snorkel with Sea Dragons – Kangaroo Island boasts some of South Australia’s most magnificent wildlife. A must for Kangaroo Island visitors is the nightly guided penguin tour, available at Penneshaw or Kingscote. Little penguins can be found living and breeding along the coastline in rocks and other sheltered places and, each night, they come ashore and can be heard calling to each other. The leafy sea dragon can also be found in the waters off Kangaroo Island, Victor Harbor, Second Valley and Rapid Bay jetty on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Scuba dive or snorkel in these waters and see the dragon’s incredibly beautiful shape and colouring.
- Try Sinkhole and Cave Diving – The Limestone Coast is home to some of the finest freshwater sinkholes and cave diving in the world. The local caves are riddled with holes and caverns, most filled with crystal clear water and marine life, attracting enthusiastic cave divers from all over the world. There are many sinkholes within the area, the Tank Cave is the longest and most spectacular water filled cave in Australia, while Piccaninnie Ponds is considered one of the world’s premier cave-diving experiences.
- Swim or Kayak with Dolphins – Kayak down the Port River with Adventure Kayaking SA and see dolphins and other marine life in their natural habitat. The Port River runs through Port Adelaide, a north western suburb of the State’s capital city. This dolphin sanctuary is a wetland of national significance and one of Adelaide’s “secret spots”; an area of incredible beauty and ecological importance.See and swim with dolphins on a trip with Temptation Sailing on a cruise down the magnificent Adelaide coast. Enjoy the opportunity to interact and swim with the friendly wild-pods of dolphins.
