Dive Centres AustraliaSearch
Menu
Dive Centres
Dive Sites
Marine Life
Courses
Technical
Agencies
Dive Shops
Marine Life

Summer

Diving Australia in February

The warmest water of the year on the east coast, and the tail of the tropical wet.

February typically brings the warmest water on the east coast, often a degree or two above January, and it is the month tropical species reach furthest south.

It remains wet season in the tropics, with cyclone risk a genuine planning consideration for far north Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Southern Australia is at its most forgiving, and it is a good month for a warm-water diver's first experience of temperate conditions.

Manta ray gliding over a reef while scuba divers watch from a distance
A responsible manta encounter, represented by an AI-generated editorial image.

Where to dive this month

Byron BayPeak tropical influence at Julian Rocks — leopard sharks, mantas and turtles.New South WalesNorth Stradbroke IslandManta rays at Flat Rock in the warmest water of the year.QueenslandJervis BayWarm, clear and settled — among the best months for the bay's walls.New South WalesRottnest IslandSettled summer conditions and the best visibility of the year.Western Australia

At its peak in February

Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)A docile, spotted bottom-resting shark that arrives on the east coast with summer's warm water.

Also good in February

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.Green TurtleThe most commonly encountered turtle on Australian reefs, and a reliable sight at Cook Island and the southern Great Barrier Reef.Leafy SeadragonSouth Australia's emblem and the most elaborately camouflaged fish in the world.Loggerhead TurtleHeavier-headed and less common than the green turtle, with a nationally significant nesting population near Bundaberg.Manta RayReef mantas at cleaning stations — Lady Elliot and Ningaloo are the most reliable encounters in Australia.

Worth avoiding in February

  • Far north Queensland and Darwin: cyclone season and wet-season run-off.

Seasonality detail

Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)

possible good peak
A summer visitor on the east coast, arriving with warm East Australian Current water and largely absent through winter.

Nearby months

← JanuaryPeak heat, peak crowds, warmest water nationwide — and stinger season in the tropics.March →Whale sharks arrive at Ningaloo; the east coast holds summer warmth without the crowds.