South Australia dive sites

No diving certification is required for cage diving with great white sharks at Port Lincoln. The cage is lowered to a depth of only about 3-5 metres and remains attached to the surface vessel. Participants breathe from a surface-supplied hookah system, so no scuba experience is needed. A basic safety briefing is provided on board. This makes the experience accessible to anyone comfortable in the water, including snorkellers.

Great white shark encounter rates at the Neptune Islands are among the highest in the world, with sightings on approximately 95 percent of trips during the peak season from May to October. The nearby fur seal and sea lion colonies provide a natural food source that keeps great whites in the area. While individual dive trips can vary, most participants see multiple sharks during a day's cage diving. The Neptune Islands are protected as a marine park, ensuring the shark population remains healthy.

Most cage diving trips depart from Port Lincoln and involve an overnight liveaboard experience due to the 70-kilometre journey to the Neptune Islands. The boat departs in the evening, arrives at the islands overnight, and cage diving begins at dawn. Participants rotate through the cage in groups of four, with each session lasting 15-20 minutes. Some operators also offer day trips or extended multi-day expeditions. Surface viewing from the boat deck is also excellent, with sharks often visible alongside the vessel.

Leafy sea dragons are found around both the old and new jetty structures at Rapid Bay, typically at depths of 4-8 metres among the seagrass and algae-covered pylons. They are masters of camouflage, resembling floating seaweed, so patience and a keen eye are essential. The best strategy is to swim slowly along the pylon line, scanning the mid-water around the weed-covered structures. Early morning dives tend to have better visibility and less swell, improving your chances significantly.

Rapid Bay has two adjacent jetty structures. The old jetty, which is closed to foot traffic above water but accessible underwater, is the primary dive attraction. Its collapsed and overgrown pylons create a rich habitat for marine life. The new jetty is accessible from shore and provides an easy entry point. Most divers enter from the new jetty and swim across to explore the old jetty's more productive pylons, where the majority of leafy sea dragons and other marine life concentrate.