Autumn
Diving Australia in April
Arguably the best all-round diving month in the country.
April is many Australian divers' favourite month. The tropics are out of the wet season, the east coast still holds summer warmth, and the crowds have gone.
Ningaloo's whale shark season is running, Great Barrier Reef visibility is typically excellent, and southern temperate sites are still comfortable before winter sets in.
It is also the month when temperate macro diving starts improving as water clarity picks up.
Ningaloo & ExmouthWhale shark season in full swing, with settled conditions.
CairnsDry season beginning — reliable reef visibility and calmer seas.
Townsville, Ayr & the SS YongalaImproving conditions for the SS Yongala as the wet eases.
Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port StephensFly Point macro diving improving as inshore water clears.
Also good in April
Australian & New Zealand Fur SealsFast, acrobatic and endlessly curious — the highlight of Montague Island, Jervis Bay and Port Phillip.Australian Sea LionEndangered, endemic, and among the most genuinely playful animals a diver can meet.Eastern Blue GroperNew South Wales' state fish — large, inquisitive and often the first thing to greet a Sydney shore diver.Giant Kelp ForestTasmania's underwater forests — dramatically diminished, and worth seeing while they remain.Great White SharkEncountered in Australia from a cage at the Neptune Islands — wildlife tourism rather than scuba diving.Green TurtleThe most commonly encountered turtle on Australian reefs, and a reliable sight at Cook Island and the southern Great Barrier Reef.Grey Nurse SharkAustralia's most recognisable dive shark — ragged teeth, entirely harmless, and critically endangered on the east coast.Leafy SeadragonSouth Australia's emblem and the most elaborately camouflaged fish in the world.Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)A docile, spotted bottom-resting shark that arrives on the east coast with summer's warm water.
Whale Shark
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F
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O
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possible good peak
