Mallacoota - Cape Everard Wilsons Promontory Westernport Bay - Flinders
Geelong - Queenscliff Port Campbell Warrnambool Portland
Melbourne is the second-largest city in Australia.
With two large bays and a couple of hundred dive sites to choose from - be it reef, wreck or pier, there is always somewhere sheltered for scuba diving, snorkeling and underwater photography around Melbourne, no matter how rough the conditions.
The most comfortable months for diving are from November to May, as the seas are generally calm, the water warmer (18-21¼C) and the visibility consistently good within the range of 10-20 m.
The coastline at Mornington on a good day shows a rock easy entry shoredive in shallow water. Although it appears as though its only for snorkelers, the Scuba diving is great! Beneath every rock is a treasure to photograph. For close ups it is brilliant! ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Few divers other than the locals realise that Melbourne has some of the most interesting and varied diving in southern Australia. While weather conditions might not always be brilliant, on a good day Melbourne has much to offer, whether it is exploring a submarine, coming face to face with a giant rock lobster, frolicking with fur seals or bottlenose dolphins, or just poking around under a pier.
When I first began diving I had no idea that were stony corals that lived in temperate waters. By fact there a number of species that do, but they are not reef building species. The small colonial species of Southern Coral Culicia australiensis is often found in shallow water and is common on jetty piles.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
In between dives, Melbourne, as Australias most cosmopolitan city, has much to offer the visitor, sporting attractions, art galleries, wildlife parks, aquariums, historic towns and pubs, night clubs and festivals.
West Head
If conditions are calm, a shore dive at West Head can be spectacular. Although it is a long walk to the entry point, the trip is worth it. Caves and gutters wait to be explored, in depths from 4-10 m, and thick kelp covers the bottom. A good look among the kelp will reveal catsharks, rock lobsters, sea stars, weedfish and abalone. The small caves are lined with sponges and gorgonians, and shelter blue devilfish, cardinalfish, boarfish, perch and many rock lobsters.
Very common inhabitant of reefs and on jetty pylons the Southern Biscuit Star Tosia australis may be found in a bewlildering array of colour variations. It has six plates along the outside edge of each body margin. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
The Arch
A number of interesting shallow dive sites can be found off the Mornington Peninsula. The Arch is typical of the area, being only 5-10 m deep, with lots caves and gutters. Rock lobsters are quite common, as are catsharks, blue devilfish, sweep, cuttlefish, leatherjackets, wrasse, fiddler rays, Port Jackson sharks and a variety of invertebrates.
Port Phillip Bay Sites
The narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay, known as The Rip, has claimed many ships over the last 200 years. Most shipwrecks in the bay are badly broken up; however, the best wreck dives are on the 'ships graveyard' where over 30 ships were sunk in the 1920s. As well as shipwrecks, many reefs, walls and pinnacles can be reached by boat. Shallow reefs and colourful piers are best visited by finning out from the shore. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Back Beaches
When the conditions are calm, many dive boats head for the ocean side of the Mornington Peninsula, to catch rock lobsters, and there are some real monsters to be found! Even without the rock lobsters, diving the Back Beaches is interesting. Mostly in 5-15 m of water, the rocky terrain is riddled with caves and swim-throughs. Many caves and tunnels are lined with gorgonians and zoanthids, and occupied by conger eels, blue devilfish, boarfish and cuttlefish. Also common on the kelp-covered reef are sea stars, nudibranchs, sweep, catsharks, morwong, perch and stingarees. The occasional Australian eagle ray is sometimes seen.
Found off the coast of every state in Australia and throughout the Indo - Pacific, the Made - Up Phyllodesmium serratum feeds on soft corals and is often very common on jetty pylons. It grows to around 30 mm. (photo: Neville Coleman)
Nepean Wall
Located at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, this wall drops from 18-66 m, and offers spectacular diving. Many caves and ledges are found along the wall, and the area is packed with sponges, sea whips, huge 'lace corals' (bryozoans), zoanthids, gorgonians and anemones. Photographers will find endless subjects, nudibranchs, sea stars, reef fish, cuttlefish and sometimes schools of pelagic fish. This area can only be dived at slack tide.
Ships Graveyard
Over 30 ships were scuttled off Melbourne in the 1920s, and today they provide some of the most exciting diving in Victoria. Four J-class submarines, all originally from England and 80 m long, are the most popular dive sites. The J5 lives in 25 m, and has the best penetration diving. Since the bow is broken away, divers are able to inspect the torpedo room. The other subs (J1, J2 and J4) are found in depths from 36-39 m, and penetration diving of these subs is considered very dangerous. Another popular site is the Coogee, which rests in 33 m, and is covered in sponges and zoanthids. The hull has collapsed in sections, but divers can still explore the bow, stern and engine room of this 66 m-long ship.
Although the deadly little Maculose Blue - ring Octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa has not been responsible for any recored deaths in Victoria, its relatives interstate, have caused several deaths. All Blue - ringed Octopus have toxic venom which is used to suppress prey. The blue rings are pulsated as a warning when the animal is disturbed. Blue riged Octopus should never be picked up and are best left alone, as they are shy and retiring. They feed on crabs and shrimps and brood their eggs.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Lonsdale Reef
Point Lonsdale is the resting place of many ships, and when conditions are calm, the remains of the shipwrecks are accessible from the shore. The rocky reef here is covered in kelp, and only 5-10 m deep. Rising above the kelp are the ribs, beams and other wreckage from ships such as the George Roper, Holy Head, Black Boy, Grange and Glaneuse.
Lonsdale Wall
This great wall dive at the entrance to the bay drops from 12-60 m, and is covered with sedentary marine life. Throughout the numerous caves and swim-throughs are rock lobsters, boarfish, blue devilfish, nudibranchs, sea spiders, perch, morwong and many varieties of reef fish.
The southern seas around Australia have more species of Leatherjackets than anywhere else in the World. Freycinets leatherjacket Meuschenia freycinati occurs from southern New South Wales around to south Western Australia and grows to
50 cm. (photo: Neville Coleman)
Eliza Ramsden Shipwreck
One of the most interesting wreck dives in the bay is the Eliza Ramsden which sank in 1875. Much of the hull is still resting on the sandy, rock-strewn bottom in 18 m of water, with the bow section sitting up 7 m from the sea floor. While poking around the wreck, you will come upon kingfish, cuttlefish, leatherjackets, invertebrates and many reef fish.
Portsea Hole
Portsea Hole is only dived on the high or low tide, when water movement is least, as are most of the dive sites within the bay. Here a wall drops from 13-28 m, with many ledges and caves. Numerous sponges, ascidians, zoanthids and bryozoans cling to the wall, and among them are sea stars, nudibranchs, basket stars, shrimps, crabs and octopi. Some of the reef fish found along the wall include wrasse, leatherjackets, perch, blue devils, and morwong.
Popes Eye
Built as a fort, but never finished, Popes Eye is now part of a marine reserve and home to numerous sea birds. The best dive is on the southern side, on the boulder wall which drops from 3-12 m. Swarms of fish surround divers, large leatherjackets peer into divers masks, while wrasse and perch dart in and out of the kelp. Morwong, blue devilfish, boxfish, pipefish, globefish, weedfish, boarfish, scorpionfish, scalyfin, old wives and stingarees are all common.
( Photo: Neville Coleman)
Subject to some colour variation, the Short - headed Sea Horse Hippocampus breviceps is generally found in brownish/yellow sargassum weed. It grows to 120 mm and occurs across southern Australia. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Portsea Pier
Used for diver training and as the departure point for many dive boats, the Portsea Pier is best dived when boating activity is at a minimum, as visibility is better. The pier is in only 6 m of water, and mong its pylons live weedy sea dragons, pipefish, sea horses, cuttlefish, octopus, stingarees, large spider crabs, sea stars, boxfish, nudibranchs, wrasse, goatfish and some more unusual creatures such as goblinfish and small sea moths.
Macro-photographers will be delighted with the sponges, soft corals and ascidians which cover the pylons. To the right of the pier is a rocky, kelp-covered reef, in 8 m of water, with plenty of reef fish, giant cuttlefish, abalone and occasionally a skate.
A magnificent species of anglerfish, the Tasselled Anglerfish Rhycherus filamentosus lives on low profile rocky reefs covered in algae and is regularly seen around clumps of kelp growing on jetty pylons. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Cerebrus Shipwreck
The Cerebrus was scuttled off Black Rock in 1926 to form a break wall. The 68 m-long ship, sitting in only 5 m of water, can be easily dived from shore, as most of the ship sticks out of the water. While the hull is easily penetrated, it has deteriorated badly over the last few years, and the possibility of collapse makes it unsafe to enter. Diving around the wreck is still interesting, and nearby is a wonderful patch of reef with seahorses, stingarees, sea stars, nudibranchs, leatherjackets, scallops, boxfish, flatheads, fiddler rays and many other reef fish.
Seal Colony
Two small groups of fur seals have established colonies on the south channel navigation towers 6 and 10, in Port Phillip Bay. Snorkel or dive with the seals, and either way have a fantastic experience. If diving, have a look at the tower structures (in 12 m and 21 m of water) which are encrusted with many species of sponges and other invertebrates. Various reef fish are seen around the towers as well.
Dolphin Dives
Two pods of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus reside in Port Phillip Bay, and it is possible to do snorkel dives with some of them. The boat heads out, and once the dolphins are found divers climb into the water and are towed around on a rope. This way the dolphins come in very close to the snorkelers. You may even feel them bouncing sonar waves off your body. This is an exhilarating experience that anyone will enjoy. ( photo; Neville Coleman)
Divers visiting Melbourne will find dozens of dive shops offering excellent advice on where to shore dive or charter a boat. A number of shops at Queenscliff and Portsea are associated with dive lodges, and offer special package deals on accommodation and dive trips.
Mallacoota - Cape Everard Wilsons Promontory Westernport Bay - Flinders
Geelong - Queenscliff Port Campbell Warrnambool Portland
Neville Coleman's diving expeditions, fauna surveys, photographic fauna surveys and marine life identification courses include every major group of marine life.
Neville Coleman's expertise in marine life identification extends to the identification of Algae, Sea Grass, Forams, Sponges, Stony Corals, Soft Corals, Sea Anemones, Sea Jellies, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Black Corals, Flatworms, Segmented Worms, Crustaceans, Barnacles, Shrimps, Rock Lobsters, Hermit Crabs, Squat Lobsters, Molluscs, Chitons, Univalves, Bivalves, Cephalopods, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Squid, Opisthobranchs, Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Bryozoans, Sea Mosses, Echinoderms, Sea Stars, Feather Stars, Brittle Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, Ascidians/Sea Squirts, Marine Fish, Sharks and Marine Mammals, all found in the waters around Port Phillip Bay.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
