The dive
The heart of the site is a large ledge and cave along a wall, starting at 7 m and reaching 16 m at its base. Historically the cave has held more than 30 grey nurse sharks at a time, and they still gather here today. In 2013 Magic Point was made a protected area, closed to fishing, to help grey nurse numbers recover.
The sharks aren’t the only thing to see. Look for wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, cuttlefish, bull rays, schools of yellowtail, weedy seadragons and pineapple fish. In the right season you might see humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins.
Diving with grey nurse sharks
Grey nurse sharks are critically endangered on the east coast and protected in NSW, and there’s a code of conduct for diving with them. Don’t touch, feed or chase them, and don’t block the entrance to the cave. Let them swim past you rather than swimming at them. Stay low and calm and they’ll often come close.
The best time for grey nurse encounters here is May to November, although we see them at this site all year.
On the boat
We dive Magic Point from Sea Life V as part of a two-dive boat trip leaving from Rose Bay or Manly. A dive briefing is given before you get in, and full gear hire is available on board.
Typical visibility is 10–15 m.
Dive it with us
Sydney boat dives
Two dives from Sea Life V, leaving Rose Bay and Manly.
See the tripWhere it is
What you might see
- Weedy seadragonFound only in southern Australia, and one of Sydney’s signature dives.
- Grey nurse sharkFierce-looking, calm by nature, and critically endangered on the east coast.
- Port Jackson sharkA harmless bottom-dweller that returns to Sydney’s reefs every winter.
- Wobbegong sharkA carpet shark so well camouflaged that divers swim right past it.
- RaysFiddler rays, smooth stingrays and eagle rays on the sand around Sydney’s reefs.
- Giant cuttlefishThe world’s largest cuttlefish, and a master of colour change.
Nearby sites
- Boat dive · North Head Blue Fish PointA relaxed dive on the northern side of North Head, and a great place to see weedy seadragons.24 m
- Boat dive · Sydney Harbour Centurion wreckOne of the most interesting shipwreck dives in Sydney Harbour: the remains of a 63 m timber clipper that sank inside the Heads in 1887.18 m
- Boat dive · Dee Why Dee Why WideOne of Sydney’s premier boat dives, off Dee Why on the Northern Beaches. Deep gullies and cracks in the rocky bottom hold a huge amount of marine life.37 m
- Boat dive · Collaroy Long Reef (The Apartments)A boat dive north of Sydney Harbour along a big rock wall, with a swim-through called the Cathedral and gutters where grey nurse sharks gather.25 m
