Dive Sites

FORSTER

The Pinnacles:  24-41 metres.  The Pinnacle is rated in the top ten dive sites in the World. This is big critter territory, Grey Nurse Sharks up to 4 metres long in aggregations of 50 and more. Big kingfish, jewfish, trevally and stingrays are all seen here. An advanced dive, where many divers experience their best dive ever, anywhere in the world.

Latitude Reef: 10-18 metres. Forster’s most popular dive site. Hand feed friendly Blue Groper or moray eels that are always on the lookout for a free feed.  There are a number of bare rocky gutters sheltering Port Jackson, Wobbegong and the occasional Grey Nurse Shark.  Turtles, Butterfly Cod and numerous varieties of other fish can be found here….a dive you’ll want to do again and again.

Bennetts Head Bommie:  5-11 metres.  This reef is below the lookout at Forster.  There is a cave in the outer side of the reef with a swim through.  Note the small Marine growth – Anemones – Nudibranches - Kelp beds, Port Jackson & Wobbie Bommie look for large Bull Rays

The Barge: 28 metres, several kilometres off shore.  Once the main work barge for construction on Wallis Lake, the barge rests half on reef, half on the sea bed, which makes it an ideal congregation point for jewfish, turtles, sharks, eels, cuttlefish. A wreck dive with the bonus of prolific fish life.

The Ballast Heap: 35 metres. Advanced divers only.  A local fishing ground purposely created by early Coastal ships dumping their rock ballast before entering Port to load.  As this is a popular fishing spot, it’s a good chance to restock your own tackle box with salvage.  Several fishing rods and reels have been recovered in recent times.

Seven Mile Gutters:  8–22 metres, lovely drift dive, long gutters, visibility is usually superb.  Prolific fish life, expect the unexpected, Sharks Rays & Turtles.

Diamond Reef:  10-30 metres, a large reef complex.  Diamond Reef is an underwater garden. Hard and soft corals adorn the reef bottom. There are 38 varieties of nudibranchs found here, some of which are endemic to only this site.

Spot A: 10-20 metres. Another popular dive site for all levels of experience. A sheer wall from 10 to 20 metres hosts a wide variety of marine life. One not to miss on a visit to Forster.

SEAL ROCKS

Big Seal Rock:  10–30 metres. There are four different dive sites surrounding the Big Rock Island.  Sharks, Sharks, Sharks and a great deal of pelagic fish can be found here throughout the year. This dive is bound to give you an adrenaline rush (the pick of the bunch).

Little Seal: 20-30 Metres. A great dive site, Grey Nurse Sharks, huge cod, massed schools of baitfish, kingfish, snapper and the occasional Bronze Whaler Shark all add to the excitement. Circumnavigation of the island is possible on a single dive.

Jimmys Cave: 10-34metres. Jimmys Cave is part of complex underwater cave system that rivals anything similar in Australia. It is the favourite site of many local divers. Grey Nurse Sharks, huge cod, jewfish and giant lobsters are all found here. A superb specimen of a Black Coral tree is another feature of the dive. Advanced qualification and torches are essential.

The Interlinked Caves: 33 metres. The Interlinked Caves are located in the same area as Jimmys Cave. As the name suggests, these caves lie adjacent to one another. As you exit one, another entrance presents itself to be explored. Many divers comment that this is the best sea cave dive that they have ever done.

Shipwreck, S.S. Satara: 35-44 metres. The wreck of the S.S. Satara is one of the best shipwreck dives on the East Coast of Australia. At 125 metres (410 feet) long and weighing 5200 tonnes she is a huge ship. The S.S. Satara sank in a storm in April 1910 after hitting the submerged reef of Edith Breaker. Minimum requirements for divers to undertake this dive are Advanced or Deep Diver certification with recent logged history of deep dives.

Shipwreck, S.S. Catterthun: 55-62metres. The S.S. Catterthun is a fantastic wreck dive. The wreck has been the subject of articles in Australian Geographic and many dive magazines. The Catterthun sank with the loss of 55 lives in August 1895 after striking the underwater bombie southeast of the Little Rock. With a depth of 55 to 62 metres, the Catterthun is a dive for very experienced divers only. The wrecksite is also often subject to strong currents, which can prevent diving.

Skeleton Rocks:  33 metres. Grey Nurse are sometimes found here.  This is a good dive with a lot of fish life, mainly pelagic.

Edith Breakers:  10-20 Metres. Usually the Grey Nurse are found in numbers here.  This is a large rocky plateau with gutters, swim throughs and a number of pits where the Sharks normally hang out.  Large schools of pelagic can also be found here.

HAWKS NEST

Looking Glass: 15-27 metres. A world-class dive site in split, which goes right through the island. Look out for groper, coral, sponges and occasional Grey Nurse Sharks.

Bubble Cave: 13 metres. A pocket of air within a cliff face, where you can take off your reg! Excellent silhouette photography on exit with masses of small fish in light.

Grey Nurse Shark Gutters: Swim with up to 40 Grey Nurse Sharks.

Western Cabbage Tree Island: Perfectly sheltered during summer NE winds. Crystal clear water, with tropical green backdrop. Coral, nudibranchs, old sunken trawler at 12 metres. Also very safe for snorkelling.

S.S Oakland: (east of Cabbage Tree Island). 27 metres. Advanced divers only. Wreck with good deepwater fish life and swim throughs. Great at night.

Spider Cave: 12m. Torch required. Twisting interesting swim through with plenty of crayfish.

Boondelbah Cove: 5-30 metres. A rocky reef, vast sponge gardens and many colourful fish.

Little Island: 12-30 metres. Amphitheatres with diverse fish lifeNearby is the wreck SS. Maclaey at 42 metres.

Barnes Rock: 5-6 metres. Shallow submerged rock platforms, that are accessible from the beach. Dolphins regularly swim by, also occasional turtles. Very popular and safe for snorkelling.

Halifax park:  7-27 metres. Vast and colourful sponge gardens and schools of Fry.