New South Wales
Narooma
Montague Island — a seal colony and offshore reef system on the far south coast.
Montague Island is the major attraction at Narooma, and one of the most reliable seal-diving destinations in Australia.
The island sits about nine kilometres offshore and supports a substantial Australian and New Zealand fur seal population, along with kelp-covered reef and granite terrain.
Diving here is cooler and more exposed than further north, which is part of what makes it feel like a genuinely different region rather than more of the same coastline.
| Water temperature | Roughly 14–21°C. |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Commonly 10–25 m. |
| Season | Year-round, weather-permitting. Seal activity is present all year with seasonal variation in numbers. |
| Diving types | Seals, Reef, Island, Offshore |
| Businesses documented | 1 |
| Dive sites documented | 1 |
Seal encounters at Montague are interactive in a way that is unusual — young seals will often approach divers directly.
The interaction quality depends heavily on conditions and season, and on not pursuing the animals. Seals engage with divers who stay still far more than with divers who chase.
Each profile separates what is verified from what is advertised, and lists the questions still worth asking the operator directly.
Before you book
Capabilities and requirements change. Read how to choose a dive centre for what to actually evaluate, and confirm certification requirements, equipment hire and conditions directly with the operator before travelling.