Scuba Diving in Australia: Beyond the Great Barrier Reef

Say "diving in Australia" and most people picture the Great Barrier Reef — and rightly so: 2,300 km of coral and teeming marine life make it like no other reef on Earth. But with thousands of kilometres of coastline, Australia offers world-class diving well beyond it.

The Great Barrier Reef

For day dives, operators run from Port Douglas, Cairns, Townsville and the Whitsundays. Highlights include Agincourt Reef's pristine outer ribbons and the Cod Hole's giant potato cod.

Beyond the reef

• The SS Yongala — off Townsville, one of the world's great wreck dives, sunk in 1911 and now encrusted with marine life.
• Ningaloo Reef — on the west coast, where you can snorkel alongside whale sharks (seasonally) and manta rays just off the beach.
• Rowley Shoals — remote, coral-rimmed atolls off the Kimberley.
• South Australia — cage-diving with great white sharks and swimming with sea lions and cuttlefish.

Dive in comfort

Swain Destinations pairs Australia's best diving with luxury lodges and liveaboards in tailor-made itineraries, working only with conservation-minded operators.