Travel

One of South Australia’s most iconic marine creatures, the spectacular weedy seadragon. This stunning male is carrying a precious clutch of brightly colored eggs. Dive sites like Flinders and Portsea piers are among the best places in the world to see this charismatic creature
 

Australia, the Great Southern Land, is revered as a top diving destination. From the crystal-clear waters of Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia to the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia certainly boasts some true bucket-list sites. But what if I told you the best diving in Australia is nowhere near any of these places?

About an hour’s drive southeast of Melbourne, Victoria, lies a coastal stretch known as the Mornington Peninsula. It is this region that I would argue offers the best and most diverse diving in all of Australia. Sandy, sloping shores are lined with historic piers and jetties, which play host to an array of incredible, endemic, and accessible marine life. Much like Daniel Sly mentioned in his Sydney Destination Portfolio, the access to shore diving provides incredible opportunities for photographers and divers alike. Shallow waters allow for longer dive times, and smaller dive sites mean marine critters are far easier to find and photograph. From an array of octopus species to seahorses, weedy seadragons to huge smooth rays, there is certainly a smorgasbord of life to keep all divers happy.
 

A stunning pot-bellied seahorse, a common sight around Melbourne, especially at pier dive locations like Rye or Blairegowrie

Dive Sites

Rye Pier: 3–10m depth

An incredibly scenic and picturesque pier—and one of our most popular pier dives. It’s filled to the brim with short-headed and big-bellied seahorses, as well as four regularly sighted octopus species, including the southern blue-ringed octopus. Fantastic for both day and night dives.

Flinders Pier: 4–6m depth

One of the best spots in the world to see and photograph weedy seadragons. Covered in rich green seagrass, Flinders Pier is known as the “Dragons’ Den.” Nudibranchs, rays, and small sharks are also frequently seen in the area.

Portsea Pier: 4–5m depth

My absolute favorite pier, and another incredible site to see seadragons. While they’re not seen in the numbers found at Flinders Pier, the pier itself is far more aesthetically pleasing—not to mention easier to predict in terms of conditions. It’s my go-to location for photographing seadragons in their natural habitat or with sunbursts.

Blairgowrie Marina: 2–13m depth

A macro haven for those who prefer smaller subjects. Nudibranchs, octopuses, and all things small and strange—including the elusive tasseled anglerfish—are why we dive Blairgowrie Marina. Think of it as our muck diving paradise.

Lonsdale Wall: 0-45m depth

Shore diving isn’t the only drawcard to Melbourne, however. Boat dives provide access to some incredible wall and wreck diving. Lonsdale Wall extends for a kilometer and drops to various depths, down to 45 meters. It features near-vertical drops with slight step-outs every 6–9 meters. Huge overhangs and spectacular zoanthid coral coverage make it an exceptional destination for photographers—especially when we’re lucky enough to find the southern blue devil fish.

Wreck diving is also a popular choice among divers, with access to 46 known shipwrecks in the aptly named Ship’s Graveyard. 

There is truly something for everyone in Melbourne. With such incredibly diverse, endemic, and sought-after marine life available to divers of all levels, it remains—at least in my opinion—a paradise that not enough people know about.
 

While Melbourne is largely known for its shore diving, a few boat dives, like Lonsdale Wall, are absolutely worth your while. The endemic southern blue devil is a frequent visitor to these offshore wall dives
 

A section of the colorfully adorned wall at Lonsdale, covered by yellow zooanthids. This is the scenery in which you can find the above southern blue devil
 

Bobtail squid are a favorite macro subject in Melbourne. They are common on night dives. During the day, they remain buried in the sand, waiting for the protection of darkness to emerge
 

Perhaps the world’s strangest frogfish, the tasseled anglerfish is an incredibly hard-to-find but not altogether rare species that can be found in southern Australia. Its exceptional camouflage can make them almost impossible to spot if they are not on the move. However, if one is located, they tend to hang around in the same area for weeks or months
 

Weedy seadragons can be found year-round in Melbourne. During the winter months, while they don’t have eggs and the water is quite a bit colder, conditions are typically more favorable and stable, and visibility is often gorgeous
 

My absolute favorite marine beastie is the southern blue-ringed octopus. This is the largest blue-ring species and a truly stunning cephalopod. Particularly during the summer months, blue-rings are a common sight on night dives. However, we are fortunate that they are year-round sightings in Melbourne
 

For sea slug and nudibranch enthusiasts, Blairgowrie Marina is a must-do dive site. Over 100—yes, 100—species of sea slug and nudibranch have been found at Blairgowrie
 

The southern keeled octopus is another relatively common cephalopod in Melbourne’s waters. This one has made its home in an old tin can. While cans and bottles aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing, they do provide homes for countless creatures, octopuses chief among them
 

This male weedy seadragon, photographed during spectacular conditions, is adorned with extremely new eggs. The eggs are reddish color for only a few hours after being laid, before turning pink. This is the first and thus far only time I’ve seen eggs with this color
 

Every inch of the jetty pilings around Rye, Portsea, or Flinders (to name a few) is covered in encrusting marine life, providing countless hiding spots for shy or well-camouflaged critters like seahorses and tasseled anglerfish
 

Just because they are common doesn’t mean pot-bellied seahorses aren’t fantastic photo subjects. In fact, they are so prevalent—sometimes upwards of 30 individuals on a dive—that you can pick and choose exactly which ones are the most conducive to being photographed
 

The pale octopus is a regularly sighted species around Melbourne. Countless pales have made their homes along the “Octopus Garden” circuit off the back of Rye Pier. Filled with statues and purpose-built pipes, divers have created wonderful habitats for these friendly cephalopods
 

Of course, the marine life is the main draw for the jetty dives around Melbourne. However, it would be foolish to overlook the amazingly adorned jetty pylons themselves. The heavily encrusted legs make for some exceptional wide-angle scenes
 

During certain times of year, eagle-eyed divers might be lucky enough to spot a juvenile weedy seadragon! The camouflage on the youngsters is even better than the adults, as they haven’t developed the riotous colors yet