Queensland may have the Great Barrier Reef and Western Australia is home to the Ningaloo Reef, but our home state of New South Wales actually has some pretty incredible places to check out Australia’s incredible sea life. Sure, it may not always be full of tropical fish, colourful coral and bath-warm waters, however we love it!
From islands where you can swim with wild seas to city beaches that are home to sea turtles, these are some of our favourite places to go snorkelling in New South Wales.
Narooma
Where is it? On the south coast, about 4.5 hours south of Sydney or 3 hours from Canberra.
Best places to snorkel in Narooma: Barunguba Montague Island
What will you see when snorkelling in Narooma? Seals, grey nurse sharks, wobbegongs, blue groper, fiddler rays and more.
What makes Narooma unique for snorkelling?
Barunguba Montague Island, which is just off the shore of Narooma, is home to a playful fur seal colony and this is one of the few places you can safely swim amongst them. It only takes about 25 minutes to get out to the island from town making it incredibly accessible. You will, however, need to go with a guided tour.. but it’s so, so worth it. We went with Underwater Safaris, but there are a handful of companies that offer similar tours.
✅ We’ve been here!
Read about our experience in Narooma
Port Stephens
Where is it? About 2.5 hours north of Sydney or 1 hour north of Newcastle
Best places to snorkel in Port Stephens: Fly Point or the Outer Islands
What will you see when snorkelling in Port Stephens? Octopus, wobbegongs, butterfly fish, wrasse, blue gropers and more.
What makes Port Stephens unique for snorkelling?
This tropical paradise feels a world away from nearby Newcastle and is home to quite a few snorkelling and diving sites. We went to Fly Point, which sits just at the east end of Nelson Bay Beach. It’s easy to swim out to from shore and we were surrounded by thousands (or more!) of fish. There were also wobbegongs, octopus and plenty of unique plants to check out. While you may not see them when you’re snorkelling, the area is also home to plenty of dolphins, so keep an eye out!
Much of the area here is part of the protected Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park, including the outer islands that sit just beyond the headland to the open ocean. While we haven’t made it out here yet, there are day tours available to them.
✅ We’ve been here!
Read about our experience in Port Stephens
Byron Bay
Where is it? About a 1-hour flight from Sydney, a 6.5-hour drive from Newcastle or 1 hour south of the Gold Coast.
Best places to snorkel in Byron Bay: Nguthungulli Julian Rocks
What will you see when snorkelling in Byron Bay? Leopard sharks, whale sharks, sea turtles, nudibranchs, grey nurse sharks and more.
What makes Byron Bay unique for snorkelling? Home to Nguthungulli Julian Rocks Nature Reserve, the area is an incredible place to see leopard sharks. While we weren’t snorkelling here, while scuba diving (and not to deep that you couldn’t see them snorkelling), we saw dozens of the gentle creatures swimming around the islands. They’re also just 2.5 kilometres off shore, making the boat ride out there relatively short.
✅ We’ve been here! We went diving with Sun Dive (a few times) and would happily go with them again.
Sydney
Where is it? About 2 hours south of Newcastle or 3 hours from Canberra.
Best places to snorkel in Sydney: Gordon’s Bay, Shelly Beach, Malabar and Clovelly are some of our favourites.
What will you see when snorkelling in Sydney? Wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, octopus, blue gropers, rays and, if you’re lucky, nudibranchs. At Shelly Beach, there are a few turtles, too.
What makes Sydney unique for snorkelling? One of the few places you can watch an iconic Opera, climb atop a bridge and snorkel with sub-tropical fish in one day, Sydney’s snorkelling often takes people by surprise. The city features plenty of beaches with crystal-clear waters teaming with fish of all different shapes and sizes. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, most of the sites are quite easy to get to as well, by car, ferry or public transport.
✅ We’ve been here!
Read more about snorkelling in Sydney
Seal Rocks
Where is it? 40 minutes south of Foster, 1 hour, 25 minutes north of Newcastle, 3 hours north of Sydney,
What will you see when snorkelling in Seal Rocks? Turtles, Port Jackson sharks, wobbegongs, fiddler rays and more.
What makes Seal Rocks unique for snorkelling?
Right off the beach, you can dive into the water and be surrounded by plenty of fish. We stayed at a nearby campsite, which made this snorkel trip incredibly affordable, too. Just head toward the right end of Boat Beach and swim toward to the rocky outcrop in the bay. There’s some excellent snorkelling here and it’s where we’ve also seen a sea turtle.
✅ We’ve been here!
Coffs Harbour
Where is it? 4 hours north of Newcastle, or 5.5 hours north of Sydney.
What will you see when snorkelling in Coffs Harbour? Turtles, lion fish, puffer fish, leopard sharks, octopus, cuttlefish, eels and more
What makes Coffs Harbour unique for snorkelling?
About 30-40 minutes from Coffs Harbour by boat sits the Solitary Islands Marine Park, the third largest in the state. Here, warm tropical waters meet cooler waters and you’ll find a fascinating blend of species thriving here. Unfortunately our experience here was cancelled due to weather, but we hope to visit sometime soon!
✅ We’ve been here… but just to visit the town as our experience was unfortunately cancelled.
Bushrangers Bay
Where is it? 30 minutes south of Wollongong or 1 hour, 45 minutes south of Sydney.
What will you see when snorkelling in Bushrangers Bay? Grey nurse sharks, nudibranchs, weedy sea dragons, giant cuttlefish and more.
What makes Bushrangers Bay unique for snorkelling? Near Shellharbour, Bushrangers Bay Aquatic Reserve is a great place to see sharks. Unlike many of the beaches along the Illawarra coast, Bushrangers is protected from large waves making it easy for those who aren’t super strong swimmers.The bay is also a bit of a natural amphitheatre making it a stunning place to visit both in the water and out.
🔜 We haven’t been here yet, but it’s on our list!
