Diving in South Australia/Shark cage diving at the Neptune Islands
Diving in South Australia/Shark cage diving at the Neptune Islands
The dive site Neptune Islands is an offshore site located close to the mouth of Spencer Gulf in South Australia.
Understand
The Neptune Islands is the only location in Australia where shark cage diving can be legally conducted. Tours to the site depart by charter boat from Port Lincoln on Eyre Peninsula.
Position
North Neptune Island S35°23.0’ E136°06.00’
South Neptune Island S35°33.0’ E136°12.00’
Shark cage diving is conducted at a number of sites within two protected areas around each of the two groups of islands. A permit is required to enter the protected area and will be arranged by the Tour Operator as part of the charter service.
Name
The site name "Neptune Islands" is derived from the name of the islands as given by the British explorer, Matthew Flinders on Sunday 21 February 1802.
Depth
Cage moored at surface - 2.0 m,
Cage on seabed - 18.0 m
Topography
Conditions
Facilities
Permanent amenities at the site are non-existent. The tour operator's vessel will provide ablution facilities, changing rooms, fresh drinking water, and food.
Get in
Access to the site is via boat which departs from Port Lincoln, which is a 6 hour drive from Adelaide.
See
Marine life
Most of the marine life can make you laugh or cry. Depending on how you view cuteness of the Sea Lions. Below, there's only a couple different species of fish. But none so notable like the sea lion.
Photography
For surface cage dives, wide-angle is recommended while strobe may be useful for infill lighting, remembering that the maximum water depth is about 2 m. For cage dives on the seabed, both wide-angle and artificial illumination (i.e. a strobe or photo lighting) are recommended. At the surface (i.e. the decks of the charter vessels), lenses with telephoto capacity are recommended for portraits of sharks.
Suggested Routes
Given the risks associated with Great White Sharks, guests are not allowed to exit the cages.
Stay safe
Hazards
Do not extend any part of the body outside of the cage or attempt to touch sharks.
Skills
For surface cage diving, no prior training is required as all three operators will conduct this activity as a resort dive using surface-supplied breathing air.
Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions who offers cage dives in cages lowered to the seabed will require an entry-level certification such as CMAS 1 Star Diver or PADI Open Water Diver.
Equipment
Adventure Bay Charters and Calypso Star Charter will provide all equipment required for surface cage diving including masks and wetsuits. Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions will hire equipment to guests who do not choose to bring their own equipment. It is recommended that any special equipment needs be discussed at the time of booking. Sunglasses with polarised lenses offer a real advantage for spotting sharks approaching under the surface glare on the water. This advice also applies for polarized filters on topside camera lenses.
Related Wikipedia article: Neptune Islands