Summer
Scuba Diving in Australia in December
Turtle hatchlings, warm water everywhere, and the start of the tropical wet.
December returns summer conditions nationwide. Turtle hatchlings begin emerging on the southern Great Barrier Reef cays, and leopard sharks return to northern New South Wales.
The tropical wet season is beginning, which brings afternoon storms and reduces inshore visibility, though the outer reef is largely unaffected.
Southern Australia is warm, long-daylighted and at its most accessible for visiting divers.
Bundaberg & Southern Great Barrier ReefTurtle hatchlings emerging on the coral cays.
Byron BayLeopard sharks returning to Julian Rocks with the warm current.
Mornington PeninsulaComfortable pier diving with long daylight for repeat dives.
EsperanceSummer weather windows opening for the Recherche Archipelago.Ranked guide: the best dive sites in Australia in December →
Green TurtleThe most commonly encountered turtle on Australian reefs, and a reliable sight at Cook Island and the southern Great Barrier Reef.
Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)A docile, spotted bottom-resting shark that arrives on the east coast with summer's warm water.Loggerhead TurtleHeavier-headed and less common than the green turtle, with a nationally significant nesting population near Bundaberg.Businesses documented at the sites where this month's peak species are found.
Manta Lodge & Scuba CentrePoint LookoutSSINorth Stradbroke Island's only full-service scuba centre and an SSI Instructor Training Center, with two boats, on-site lodging, and technical and freediving training.BoatCoursesAdvancedProTechHireSource-backed profile
Blue Bay DiversBrunswick HeadsA Brunswick Heads charter running the 8.5-metre catamaran Bay Warrior to Julian Rocks and less-visited Byron sites such as Windarra Banks and the Cape Pinnacle.BoatSource-backed profile
Pro Dive CairnsCairnsPADIA PADI 5 Star Career Development Centre operating since 1983, pairing a Cairns training centre with two deep heated pools with three-day outer reef liveaboard trips.BoatCoursesAdvancedProNitroxPoolSource-backed profile
Divers DenCairnsPADICairns' longest-established dive company (founded 1974), a PADI Career Development Centre and Eco Centre running day trips and the OceanQuest reef-based liveaboard.BoatCoursesAdvancedProNitroxPoolSource-backed profile
Dreamtime Dive & SnorkelCairnsCairns' Indigenous-guided reef day trip, run by Reef Magic Cruises, visiting two outer reef sites with optional introductory and certified dives.BoatCoursesHireSource-backed profile
Coral Sea DreamingCairnsAn 18-metre sailing ketch taking up to 12 guests on overnight Cairns reef trips, with all dives guided and one of the few introductory night-dive licences.BoatHireSource-backed profile
Wolf Rock Dive CentrePADIA Rainbow Beach operation specialising in Wolf Rock, an advanced offshore pinnacle site known for grey nurse sharks.BoatCoursesAdvancedProNitroxHireSource-backed profile
Sunreef MooloolabaMooloolabaPADIThe Sunshine Coast's only PADI 5 Star IDC, with roots to 1976 and three dive vessels running the ex-HMAS Brisbane, Flinders Reef and humpback whale swims.BoatCoursesAdvancedProNitroxHireSource-backed profileGold Coast Dive AdventuresRunaway BayPADIA Gold Coast operation focused on guided local diving and charter access to offshore sites.BoatCoursesHireSource-backed profileOther Marine Life to See in December
Australian & New Zealand Fur SealsFast, acrobatic and endlessly curious — the highlight of Montague Island, Jervis Bay and Port Phillip.Australian Sea LionEndangered, endemic, and among the most genuinely playful animals a diver can meet.Eastern Blue GroperNew South Wales' state fish — large, inquisitive and often the first thing to greet a Sydney shore diver.Giant Kelp ForestTasmania's underwater forests — dramatically diminished, and worth seeing while they remain.Great White SharkEncountered in Australia from a cage at the Neptune Islands — wildlife tourism rather than scuba diving.Leafy SeadragonSouth Australia's emblem and the most elaborately camouflaged fish in the world.Manta RayReef mantas at cleaning stations — Lady Elliot and Ningaloo are the most reliable encounters in Australia.NudibranchsSea slugs of absurd colour and variety — the reason temperate Australian macro diving has a global reputation.Potato CodEnormous, docile groupers habituated to divers at Cod Hole on the Ribbon Reefs.
Green Turtle
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
possible good peak
Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
possible good peak
Loggerhead Turtle
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
possible good peak