Jervis Bay · Australia · Reef
Seal Colony
Winter seals over boulder ground, with the bottom at 25-30 m
Area photo: Dave Naithani · CC BY-SA 3.0
In winter the seals move to a site south of St Georges Head, on the outer coast below Jervis Bay, and diving with them is the whole reason for coming. The ground is large boulders and rock formations with a maximum depth of 25 to 30 m, and the animals are inquisitive enough to mimic a diver's movements underwater.
Where it is and how deep
35.1995° S, 150.6952° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
This is a seasonal dive. The seals migrate in winter to a site south of St Georges Headland, and that is the window in which operators run it; outside it there is little reason to make the trip. The site itself is made up of large boulders and rock formations, with a maximum depth of 25 to 30 m, so the depth plan is the real constraint even on a dive where nobody comes for the terrain.
The seals are inquisitive and playful, and they will mimic what you do underwater, which means the dive works better if you settle and let them come than if you swim after them. Marine life here is otherwise less abundant than at other sites in the bay, so the animals really are the whole dive. Hovering above the boulders and giving them something to react to also keeps the profile flat rather than creeping deeper across the rock as the dive runs on.
Marine life and season
- Seals & sea lions
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Jervis Bay: Apr–Jul is clearest as summer runoff clears; seals are present through winter and grey nurse numbers peak in the cooler months.
Sources
- Jervis Bay Dive Site Locations (2019 archive) — Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay (Wayback Machine)
In The Logbook
- Diving with seals and sea lionsBig animals · 17 min read
More dive sites in Jervis Bay
Reef
Juvenile fish over sand and rock groups, from 5 m to about 20 m
Reef
A boat-only deep dive to about 30 m on the Beecroft Peninsula
Multi-level sponge reef, 10-30 m, with the Wandra wreck alongside
Reef
Kelp gardens and rock gutters, no deeper than about 13 m
Reef
A self-guided shore dive over kelp and seagrass in 8-12 m
Boulder swim-throughs under a 100 m cliff, from 6 m to 35 m
Cave & cavern
A 60 m slot in the cliff, entered at 16-18 m and naturally lit
Cave & cavern
A true overhead cave running 70-80 m back into the cliff
Similar dives elsewhere
A dozen resident potato cod, the largest around 30 kg
Black coral on the gutter walls, then semi-trailer-sized boulders
Winter sand channel where grey nurse sharks gather
Small cave at 10 m on Flat Rock's northern side