The caverns and walls on this island are a haven for bream, drummer and groper. Depth drops to 25 metres at 'South West Point' while 'Safety Bay' is protected from prevailing winds and is a great spot for learners. Depth: 10 - 25 metres Rating: Open water up Source: Scuba Diver Australasia Next Trip

Definitely one of Nelson Bay's main attractions, Broughton Island has several dive sites. The most popular is the 'Looking Glass', a narrow channel through the centre of the island. At the southern end it is 16 metres deep dropping to 20 metres at the northern end. Large boulders decorate the outside complete with swim-throughs filled with mating Port Jackson sharks at certain times of the year. Once inside the fish life is amazing; blue groper, red morwong, bullseye and bream. At other times, grey nurse sharks and large eagle rays are seen at this spot. Sheer walls covered with baitfish and small sponges, patrolled by large black rays and grey nurse sharks in the warmer months. There are deep (40m) rock walls around Broughton laden with Jewfish, snapper and kingfish. Caves at 'Esmerelda' and 'Fishermans' and many shallow rocky gutters with winding paths littered with wobbegongs and great marine life. Depth: 16 - 20 metres Rating: Open water to Advanced Source: Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine Next Trip

Another island with a variety of dive sites ranging from 3-35 metres deep. A mere 10 minute boat ride and accessible in almost all weather conditions, Fingal Island boasts good pinnacles and sheer drop offs with wonderful sponge gardens and schools of baitfish and pelagics.

There is also 'Turtle Cave' diveable only in calm conditions with a sheer wall dropping off on the seaward side of a pinnacle. The low cave is in 25 metres of water and the macro life is incredible.

 

Depth: 3 - 35 metres   Rating: Open water to Advanced

Source: Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine

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Halifax Park Aquatic Reserve is inside Port Stevens so is not subject to ocean swells. Nutrient and deposition of marine critters in larval stages by the very strong tidal currents which flow through this passage four times each day is what has made the area so rich. It is also what restricts diving to roughly one hour on slack water at high tide each day. Entry to the water is a very easy 10m walk from the car park. Beware this is a busy main boating channel so do not surface until you are in very shallow water. Navigation is easy, getting deeper is going away from shore and becoming shallower is going to shore.
At first you see kelp and rocks to a depth of around 12m, then the sponge gardens begin and continue in rocky outcrops to about 23m where sand is encountered. Swimming over the gardens will reveal eels, scorpion fish, tunicates and other interesting temperate species but if you treat this as a 'muck dive' and get down close, you will find the unexpected. Lots of nudibranchs, sea spiders among the bryozoan, large sea fleas, angler fish complete with fishing pole and worm, baby wobbegongs sitting in the sponges, pineapple fish with phosphorescence beneath their eyes - all forms of fish, sedentary and invertebrate life inhabit this vibrant reef. Large blue wrasse and schools of bream and snapper follow divers like puppy dogs.

Night diving at Halifax is another world, large sea pens emerge from the sand some have small crabs which live among the polyps, sea hares up to 60cm long graze on the bottom, small basket stars spread their arms to feed, eels come out to hunt, like moths to a light, thousands of tiny shrimp-like creatures swarm around the beam of the divers' light to the delight of hunters which dart in and out catching a feed. A dive not to be missed.

Depth: 2 - 24 metres  Rating: Open water up

Source: Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine Author: Neil Vincent

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Good for experienced divers due to its deep gutters and walls where divers can encounter sharks, cobias and kingfish. This site also boasts an extensive sponge garden with depths ranging from 15 - 30 metres. The many rocky gutters have winding paths littered with wobbegongs and great marine life.

 

Depth: 15 - 30 metres Rating: Open water to Advanced

Source: Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine

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Although there are several wreck sites in the Port Stephens area. The SS Oakland remains the most popular. Just north of Cabbage Tree Island, the coal collier now lies in 28 metres of water. She sank 1903 after taking her load shifted in a huge gale and she started to take on water. Eleven crewmembers died, four of those were in the lifeboat. It is still possible to find crockery, bottles and pieces of coal but the sand covers quite a lot of the wreck site. Even though there is no penetration, this is an excellent dive site with plenty of fish and wobbegongs, cuttlefish, eels, nudibranchs, catfish and bullseye. Depth: 28 metres Rating: Advance Sources: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~diving/articles/publish.htm / ww.diveoz.com.au / Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine / Peter Stone's Dive Australia Next Trip