Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in MidCoast Council

Great wall dive. Soft corals on the wall and nice coral garden. East of the Big Rock

SS Catterthun sunk 8 August 1895. This 92 meters longe wreck lies upright and fairly intact. There is huge engine just up four or five metres. off Seal Rocks

Forster

Latitude Reef is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Australia, NSW, Forster Tuncurry which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Excellent dive with the occasional grey nurse, and with the greatest number of bright and colour fish i have ever seen outside of a tropical region.

Set off two bonniey side by side, comming out off 42m up to 30. With vertical sides lots off narrow gutters to atract all type off fish life. Top off rocks coved in corals and fish life. Boat dive

Mermaid Reef is an area of reef with neuromas pinnacles, gutters and bommies. Sites ranges from 12m - 30m and attracts grey nurse, whaler sharks. With a bottom of Large Gorgonian fans, sea spiders it attacks large school of bait fish, sting rays, morays ells. Boat dive only

If you can see the dive marker on the map, this is typically where the boat owner will drop the pick. We used to dive her to see the huge logger head turtle that sleeps in the small cave to the east of the bommie under the marker. But if you swim over to the shoreline and look about the edges there you will see some inlets in towards the beach area. This is a great area to frolic about with a tank on, because you get huge numbers of Nanygai, Yellowtail, Bullseye, etc. all through here and it is just a great relaxing second dive after having done the 'Latitude Rock' a klm to the east.

This is a unique dive site to meet and photograph Grey Nurse Sharks (at least 60 grey nurses)! The site is very controlled; no more than 6 divers at a time in the gutter, close together to not disturb the sharks. Big Seal Rock - The Cavern is also known as Western gutter.

Advisable not to undertake this dive if you do not know it well. Current can be very strong, and conditions can change very quickly. 16 minute bottom time is recommended, to avoid decompression stops. Since being made into a Sanctuary Zone, the divers of this site have begun to notice the effects on the fish and Grey Nurse Shark life. Larger numbers of Snapper, Cobia, King Fish and Jew Fish have been recorded, as well as big rays and even bigger female nurse sharks. Fishing is ENTIRELY PROHIBITED at this site. This dive is located within a Sanctuary Zone of the Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park. There is a mooring line located in 32 metres of water, maintained by one of the local dive centres.

North of Cabbage Tree Island

Max depth is 7m so a two hour dive on a single tank is likely if you take it easy. The dive site is very shallow and a long dive is possible, so a wetsuit is a must or cold may set in. You should find plenty of fish on this dive. Check out my video in the link above; Sharks, rays, yellowtail, bonito, rays, eels, rays, cuttle fish, cleaner wrasse, rays, and numerous others. Did I mentions rays? There are lots of rays...often swimming in schools Park at either of two locations: 1) Marine Drive East end - gear up and walk down the sunned dune to head out east and then round the headland to the north and dive all the way to point 2). 2) Cnr of Bennetts Head Road and Boundary Street - Park in the shade of the high vegetation provided on the north side of Bennetts head rd. Walk to the northern shoreline bypassing the high impassable vegetation on the right. Enter water anywhere suitable. Once underwater, turn east and swim for as long as you can before turning around and heading back. Bennets Head North is also known as Fishermans Paradise.