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Best diving by month · 2026 guide

The Best Diving in Australia in November

November is peak season for green turtle, loggerhead turtle, weedy seadragon, leafy seadragon at the sites below.

Sites are ranked by how many species are at or near their seasonal best in November. See the full month guide for water temperatures and what to avoid.

Tasselled wobbegong resting camouflaged on a rocky reef1

Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli)

Byron Bay, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~15 m typical, 25 m maxBoat divereef · island

Where tropical and temperate waters meet — more than 20 shark and ray species recorded.

The ecological importance of the site comes from the meeting of tropical and temperate influences. Warm water arriving on the East Australian Current mixes with cooler temperate water, and species from both systems occur here together.

Look for: Green Turtle, Grey Nurse Shark, Humpback Whale, Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)

Who takes you there Sundive Byron Bay Byron Bay Dive Centre Blue Bay Divers
Full Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli) guide →
Scuba diver and green sea turtle above a tropical coral reef2

Cook Island

Gold Coast, Queensland

Open Water · ≤18 m~14 m typical, 20 m maxBoat diveisland · reef

An aquatic reserve off Tweed Heads with a resident turtle population and seasonal grey nurse sharks.

The protected status has produced habituated marine life, and divers regularly encounter multiple turtles on a single dive.

Look for: Green Turtle, Grey Nurse Shark, Humpback Whale, Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)

Who takes you there Gold Coast Dive Centre Gold Coast Dive Adventures
Full Cook Island guide →
Two equipped scuba divers entering a calm Australian bay from shore4

Lady Elliot Island

Bundaberg & Southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Open Water · ≤18 m~15 m typical, 25 m maxShore dive · Boat divereef · island

A coral cay at the reef's southern tip, with some of Australia's most reliable manta encounters.

Cleaning stations around the island produce reliable seasonal manta activity, and the clear water typical of the southern reef makes it exceptional for photography.

Look for: Green Turtle, Humpback Whale, Loggerhead Turtle, Manta Ray

Who takes you there Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort
Full Lady Elliot Island guide →
Colourful nudibranch on a sponge garden with a diver behind5

Bare Island

Sydney, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~12 m typical, 20 m maxShore divereef · muck

Sydney's most-dived shore site — weedy seadragons, extraordinary macro life and multiple routes.

The site offers several distinct routes at different depths, which is why it sustains that popularity — divers who have dived it a hundred times still find new things.

Look for: Eastern Blue Groper, Giant Australian Cuttlefish, Nudibranchs, Port Jackson Shark

Who takes you there Abyss Scuba Diving Pro Dive Sydney Sydney Dive Safari
Full Bare Island guide →
Whale shark cruising over Ningaloo Reef with divers in the distance6

Ningaloo Reef

Ningaloo & Exmouth, Western Australia

Open Water · ≤18 m~15 m typical, 30 m maxShore dive · Boat divereef · drift

A fringing reef close enough to shore that in places you can swim to it from the beach.

For certified divers, the reef systems and offshore sites around the Exmouth Gulf provide the main scuba product, with drift diving along the reef edge and coral bommies inside the lagoon.

Look for: Green Turtle, Humpback Whale, Manta Ray, Spotted Eagle Ray

Who takes you there Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo Ningaloo Reef Dive Dive Ningaloo Ningaloo Blue Dive
Full Ningaloo Reef guide →
Colourful nudibranch on a sponge garden with a diver behind7

Edithburgh Jetty

Yorke Peninsula & Edithburgh, South Australia

Easy · <10 m~6 m typical, 9 m maxShore divepier · muck

One of the world's great muck dives — an unremarkable jetty hiding extraordinary small life.

Jetty sites are often described as easy because access is from shore. That can be misleading, and Edithburgh illustrates why: shallow does not mean trivial, and the best diving here happens at night.

Look for: Giant Australian Cuttlefish, Leafy Seadragon, Nudibranchs, Seahorses & Pipefish

Full Edithburgh Jetty guide →
Colourful nudibranch on a sponge garden with a diver behind9

Rapid Bay Jetty

Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia

Easy · <10 m~8 m typical, 12 m maxShore divepier

South Australia's best-known leafy seadragon site, beneath a long jetty on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

The old jetty's T-section at the seaward end is the main attraction. The structure carries dense growth, and the piles and their surroundings hold the seadragons the site is known for.

Look for: Giant Australian Cuttlefish, Leafy Seadragon, Striped Pyjama Squid, Weedy Seadragon

Who takes you there Diving Adelaide
Full Rapid Bay Jetty guide →

Questions about this list

How is this list ranked?

Ranked from our species seasonality data: each site scores for the species recorded there that are at peak or good levels in November, then by how well documented the site is. Nobody pays to be listed.

Can a business pay to appear here?

No. Listings and order come from our research only. Businesses can ask us to correct their details, but not to change their position.

How current is this guide?

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.

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