AUSTRALIA’S GREAT ANIMAL DIVES
Australia’s coastline, including off-shore islands, is nearly 60,000 kilometres (40,000 miles) and provides home to over 30,000 identified marine animal species.
Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, so large, it is visible from outer space!
Marine animals vary enormously in size and form.
Australia’s marine environments are home to nearly 50 different marine mammals (whales, dolphins, dugongs and seals), over 5,000 fish species, more than 35 species of reptile (turtles and sea snakes), tens of thousands of invertebrates and around 200 hundred kinds of sea bird.
Invertebrates are categorised into eight broad groups (Phyla): Porifera (sponges), Coelenterata (jellyfish, anemones, hydroids, corals), Platyhelminthes (flatworms), Nematoda (roundworms), Annelida (segmented worms), Mollusca (snails, clams, octopuses), Arthropoda (insects, spiders, crustaceans), and Echinodermata (sea stars, sea urchins).
While most animals are quite obvious, others are hard to spot due to their clever camouflage and brilliantly coloured disguises.
Australia’s oceans host an absolutely bizarre collection of unique marine creatures, including, but not limited to, exquisite leafy seadragons, bizarre handfish, bedazzling blue devil fish, docile Port Jackson sharks and mesmerising giant cuttlefish.
Twelve awesome animal interaction dives have been selected to provide an unforgettable interaction with our incredible marine creatures:
- Bottlenose Dolphins (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria & Western Australia),
- Dwarf Minke Whales (Far North Queensland),
- Giant Cuttlefish (South Australia),
- Great White Sharks (South Australia),
- Grey Nurse Sharks (Queensland, New South Wales & Western Australia),
- Humpback Whales (Queensland, New South Wales & Western Australia),
- Manta Rays (Queensland & Western Australia),
- Marine Turtles (Queensland & Western Australia),
- Queensland’s Mega Fish (Far North Queensland),
- Seadragons (South Australia & Western Australia),
- Seals & Sea Lions (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia & Western Australia),
- Shark Encounters (Far North Queensland, Lord Howe Island New South Wales & Western Australia), and
- Whale Sharks (Western Australia).
