Dive sites by region · 2026 guide
Australia's best-known macro shore diving at Fly Point, plus offshore reef, wrecks and shark sites.
These are the 3 Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens sites in our database, best-documented first, with the operators who run trips to each.
1Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens, New South Wales
A protected sponge garden at Nelson Bay with some of the richest macro life in Australia.
The sponge gardens hold an extraordinary density of small life, and the protection means the fish are habituated and the habitat is intact.
Look for: Nudibranchs, Seahorses & Pipefish
2Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens, New South Wales
Offshore island diving from Port Stephens, with grey nurse sharks at Looking Glass.
Looking Glass, a narrow gutter cutting through the island, is a recognised grey nurse shark aggregation site and the region's most sought-after dive.
Look for: Grey Nurse Shark
Full Broughton Island guide →3Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens, New South Wales
Fly Point's neighbour — sponge gardens and macro life within the same protected reserve.
It is often dived as an alternative when Fly Point is busy, or as a second dive, and holds the same extraordinary macro diversity.
Look for: Nudibranchs, Seahorses & Pipefish
Sites are chosen from our dive-site database and ordered by how well documented they are: flagship status, the number of operators we have confirmed dive there, and the marine life recorded. Nobody pays to be listed.
No. Listings and order come from our research only. Businesses can ask us to correct their details, but not to change their position.
It is generated from the directory's latest research, checked in 2026. Conditions, operators and seasons change — confirm details with the operator before you book.