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Autumn

Diving Australia in March

Whale sharks arrive at Ningaloo; the east coast holds summer warmth without the crowds.

March is one of the best months to dive Australia. The east coast retains summer water temperatures while school holidays end, and Ningaloo's whale shark season begins following the mass coral spawning.

Visibility on the Great Barrier Reef generally improves as the wet season eases, and southern Australia stays comfortable well into the month.

For a single month that works almost everywhere in the country, March is the strongest candidate.

Leopard shark gliding over a subtropical sand channel
A leopard shark encounter, represented by an AI-generated editorial image.

Where to dive this month

Ningaloo & ExmouthWhale shark season opens, following the mass coral spawning and the plankton bloom it triggers.Western AustraliaCairnsWet season easing, reef visibility improving, still very warm.QueenslandSydneyWarm water holding, with autumn often producing the clearest conditions of the year.New South WalesCoffs Harbour & the Solitary IslandsSolitary Islands at their most tropical, with anemone beds at their best.New South Wales

At its peak in March

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

Also good in March

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.Grey Nurse SharkAustralia's most recognisable dive shark — ragged teeth, entirely harmless, and critically endangered on the east coast.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.

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

← FebruaryThe warmest water of the year on the east coast, and the tail of the tropical wet.April →Arguably the best all-round diving month in the country.