Dive sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Apollo Bay
In Sydney, you enter the water from the shore at Shelly Beach in Manly, in the Cabbage Tree Bay marine reserve, where fishing has been banned since March 2002. The ferry to Manly departs from Circular Quay and crosses the harbour. Near Melbourne, the dive boats depart from Portsea and Queenscliff and head into the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park at the entrance to the bay. Popes Eye, an artificial ring in the water off Portsea, protects against the tidal current. Near Apollo Bay, between Wye River and Cape Otway, Australian fur seals rest on an island in the Marengo Reefs marine reserve, which you can reach by snorkelling from the beach in suitable conditions.
This booklet is for days spent in the water. At the beginning, a map shows all the shore dive sites, and each site description indicates the shore entry point and parking. The wind rose shows you which wind conditions are suitable for each site. A table at the end of the chapter lists the remaining dive sites. The chapters on diving in Sydney, Melbourne, and Apollo Bay explain the conditions throughout the year, which coast is suitable for which wind, and the local regulations. Typical species are shown in the marine life section with real photos and their seasons.
You will receive an A5-format PDF that you can read on your phone or tablet while on the go and print as a booklet at home.