Located off Byron Bay in the beautiful New South Wales area of Australia, the Julian Rocks Marine Reserve is the habitat for over 500 different fish species and countless other sea creatures. Julian Rocks is composed of metamorphic rock that burst through the earth’s crust eons ago. Its location provides both shelter from the larger ocean and seasonal changes in temperatures and currents that attract a variety of marine life.
With several dive sites here, there’s an adventure to suit every taste, from simple, shallow scenic dives for novice divers, to drift and cave dives for more experienced explorers. Marine life is nothing short of magnificent. Look for turtles, ornamented wobbegong sharks, cuttlefish, eagle rays, clown fish, banner fish, moray eels, golden bulls-eyes, king fish, tuna, mulloway, trevally, and sea anemones, to name a few, and pause to enjoy the lush flora, as well; hard and soft coral, ascidians, and brightly colored sponges provide fabulous photo opps. One look and you’ll understand why diving here is compared to floating through a beautiful underwater garden.
Most spectacular are the sightings of large species, including grey nurse and leopard sharks, manta rays, prancing dolphins, and the migrating humpback whales that travel through Byron Bay. Their appearances vary with the season, but there is always something to take your breath away.
Following are some of the most popular dive spots in the area, let’s take a closer look:
The Cod Hole
The haunt of large moray eels, blue groupers, wobbegongs, grey nurse sharks and other large marine life, this site features an underwater swim-through and depths that drop to 21 meters. The swim-through walls harbor slipper lobsters and the occasional ghost pipefish, but the main attraction here are the huge cod for which the site is named.
The Nursery
This shallow dive site, great for beginners, reaches depths of 5 to 12 meters, and draws huge quantities of reef fish. See if you can spot the anchor and chain of an old sailing ship wrecked off the nearby beach. Enjoy the many juvenile species which give the site its name, along with Spanish dancers, crayfish, and moray eels.
The Cray Cave
A small cave or swim-through is the highlight of this site of gigantic rock outcroppings. Grey nurse sharks, cod, rays, and big blue tuskfish roam the waters, and you can spot the black coral trees of Julian Rocks. Depths reach a maximum 25 meters. Currents in the area make this a frequent drift dive from Cod Hole or the Nursery.
Split Bommie
Large scatterings of bommies dot this site. In their crevices, look for bullseyes, wobbegongs, and turtles. Black spot goatfish, pomfrets, and other fish create large clouds in the water. It’s considered a good site for novice divers, but even the most experienced divers will enjoy the view.
The Needles
Large bommies rising almost to the surface inspired this site’s name. The currents here carry both large and small fish. At different times of the year, you may spot leopard sharks and huge rays. For the most enjoyable dive, swim around the bommies and along the site’s trenches. You’ll find many nudibranch species on this fabulous dive.
Depending on your available time, there are over a dozen more sites to visit. Whichever sites you choose, know that you’re in for some unforgettable scenery and lots of interesting animals with which to share your adventures.