If you’re a travel aficionado, 2020 surely hit you hard. However, if you’re already thinking about the places you will visit after the pandemic is over, make sure you add Australia to the list. Seeing as how it is such a vast continent, it can provide you with a wide variety of experiences. From tasting delicious wine in breathtaking valleys to witnessing some unique attractions in the Outback, the Land Down Under has it all.
This means that lovers of marine wildlife also get a treat by visiting Australia. Being completely surrounded by water, it’s only normal that there are many chances to see what the underwater world is hiding. Keep on reading for some stunning spots that you should visit.
Start with the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland
Everyone knows about the Great Barrier Reef but that should not stop you from visiting it. Covering an area of 344,400 square kilometers and including 2,900 individual reefs, this World Heritage Site will surely leave you breathless. If you want to snorkel or dive, this is the perfect location as it will allow you to come in close contact with countless species of marine life and coral. With over 1,500 fish species, turtles, stingrays, dugongs, and sharks, you don’t even have to be a swimmer to enjoy this natural beauty. So, if you find yourself on a cycling adventure through the Gold Coast, consider extending your stay and going further up north to see this magnificence that can be seen even from space.
Witness the diversity of Bunurong Marine National Park
This protected marine national park in Victoria is named after the Australian Aboriginal Bunurong people who owned the land and water before the British colonization. Located 6 kilometers southwest of Inverloch, the Bunurong Marine National Park offers divers and snorkelers excellent opportunities to see a vast range of marine life like Port Jackson sharks, snails, crabs, sea stars, and feather stars. Plus, if you’re lucky, you might spot subantarctic fur seals or humpback whales. Keep in mind that there are restrictions in place at the Bunurong Marine National Park, meaning that you cannot kill or take anything living or dead. However, fishing with a rod is allowed in Bunurong Marine Park.
See the duality of Sydney
No one goes to Australia without visiting Sydney as well. While we all know this city as a hub of nightlife and amazing sightseeing attractions, the capital of New South Wales also provides its visitors with a chance to see plenty of marine wildlife. Even though there are a few zoos you can visit, you can opt for whale watching in Sydney as well and get to marvel at these giants as they swim and frolic in the Pacific. By opting for the right cruise like the silver wind ship, you can not only learn more about their behavior and migration patterns but also enjoy lunch and drinks while you relax on-board a comfortable vessel.
Swim with giant cuttlefish in the Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park
Located in South Australia between the Eyre Peninsula and Flinders Ranges, the Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park is home to congregations of giant cuttlefish. They gather near False Bay and Fitzgerald Bay between May and August and create a magnificent sight for divers and snorkelers as they change colors as part of their mating ritual. Seeing as how this usually happens in shallow water, you will have no trouble experiencing this even if you’re a novice swimmer. Plus, there will probably be a guide present if you find the right tour. What is more, the Spencer Gulf contains four other marine parks so you can prolong your stay and visit them all if you have the time.
Give the Tinderbox Marine Reserve in Tasmania a visit
When you find yourself in Tasmania’s capital, and you most certainly will at some point, don’t overlook the Tinderbox Marine Reserve located just over 30 minutes south of Hobart. In these waters, you can find a wide assortment of marine life including Tasmania numbfish, spiny pipehorse, big-bellied seahorse, squid, octopus, 60 fish species, and over 70 species of seaweed. Although you can see plenty of things from the shore, snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as kayaking, are the best ways to encounter the amazing wildlife. While on land, you might even spot some fairy penguins and the white-breasted sea eagle.
Don’t skip Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef
Finally, if you take a look at the map of the Land Down Under and think that going to Western Australia is simply not worth it due to how isolated it is, you have to think again. Make sure you do not skip this state as it is home to the Ningaloo Marine Park. Part of the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area, it is 300 kilometers long and swarming with tropical fish, humpback whales, and the elusive whale sharks, in addition to many other majestic creatures. You will get a chance to swim with the marine wildlife of the area and stay in a luxury campsite located just off the coral reef. If you plan on driving there from Perth, keep in mind that Exmouth, Ningaloo’s hub town, is 1,250 kilometers away so prepare properly and come up with an itinerary that will allow you to see all the interesting places along the way.
Being such a big continent, it’s no surprise that Australia is full of opportunities when it comes to interacting with the marine wildlife. Consider these spots and you will make memories that will last you a lifetime.