Summer
Diving Australia in December
Turtle hatchlings, warm water everywhere, and the start of the tropical wet.
December returns summer conditions nationwide. Turtle hatchlings begin emerging on the southern Great Barrier Reef cays, and leopard sharks return to northern New South Wales.
The tropical wet season is beginning, which brings afternoon storms and reduces inshore visibility, though the outer reef is largely unaffected.
Southern Australia is warm, long-daylighted and at its most accessible for visiting divers.
Bundaberg & Southern Great Barrier ReefTurtle hatchlings emerging on the coral cays.
Byron BayLeopard sharks returning to Julian Rocks with the warm current.
Mornington PeninsulaComfortable pier diving with long daylight for repeat dives.
EsperanceSummer weather windows opening for the Recherche Archipelago.
Green TurtleThe most commonly encountered turtle on Australian reefs, and a reliable sight at Cook Island and the southern Great Barrier Reef.
Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)A docile, spotted bottom-resting shark that arrives on the east coast with summer's warm water.Loggerhead TurtleHeavier-headed and less common than the green turtle, with a nationally significant nesting population near Bundaberg.Also good in December
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.Leafy SeadragonSouth Australia's emblem and the most elaborately camouflaged fish in the world.Manta RayReef mantas at cleaning stations — Lady Elliot and Ningaloo are the most reliable encounters in Australia.NudibranchsSea slugs of absurd colour and variety — the reason temperate Australian macro diving has a global reputation.Potato CodEnormous, docile groupers habituated to divers at Cod Hole on the Ribbon Reefs.
Green Turtle
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
possible good peak
Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
possible good peak
Loggerhead Turtle
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
possible good peak