The dive
Kelp beds in the shallows give way to two ledges that run roughly parallel to the shore, then a gentle slope of sponges and soft corals into deeper water. The ledges make it easy to find your way out and back. Most divers spend their time between about 6 and 16 metres.
NSW DPI calls it the safest place to snorkel in Port Stephens, so it suits snorkellers as well as divers.
Tides
Currents here are very strong, so plan to dive at slack water at the top of the high tide. That is also when visibility is best, typically 7 to 8 metres.
What lives here
The sponge gardens hold pineapplefish, nudibranchs, seahorses, tiger pipefish, eastern toadfish and wobbegong sharks. Bream, yellowtail, snapper and flathead are common, and dolphins use the area to rest.
Marine park rules
Fly Point became an aquatic reserve in 1983 and is now part of the Fly Point–Corrie Island sanctuary zone in the Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park. Diving and snorkelling are welcome, but no fishing or collecting is allowed. Check current zoning with NSW DPI.
Where it is
What you might see
- Sponge gardens
- Pineapplefish
- Seahorses
- Nudibranchs
- Wobbegong sharks
- Tiger pipefish
Nearby sites
- Shore dive · Nelson Bay Halifax ParkHalifax Park sits near Nelson Head on the southern shore of Port Stephens, a short walk from the car park. It is the deepest of the bay’s shore dives, and the tide sets the rules here.
- Boat dive · Off Port Stephens Boondelbah IslandBoondelbah Island lies about 2 km off the mouth of Port Stephens. Its caverns and walls attract bream, drummer and groper, and one side is sheltered enough for newer divers.
- Boat dive · Off Port Stephens Broughton IslandBroughton Island lies about 14 km north-east of the Port Stephens entrance and is part of Myall Lakes National Park. It has several dive sites, and the best known is the Looking Glass, a narrow passage cut right through one of the smaller islands.
- Boat dive · Port Stephens Fingal IslandFingal Island sits off the eastern end of Fingal Bay, just south of the Port Stephens entrance, and carries the Point Stephens lighthouse. Close to shore and quick to reach by boat, it has a range of dive sites for different levels.
