You certainly don’t need to head up to Northern Queensland to get some top-notch snorkelling. Heck, you don’t even have to leave Sydney. Along the dozens of beaches that line our shores are some colourful, calm-watered spots that are ideal for swimming with the local sea life.
In fact, one of our favourite things to do in summer is shut down our computers after a day of work, grab our mask and snorkel and head over to the beaches in the Eastern Suburbs. We share below some of our favourite spots there and along the Northern Beaches where you can find the best snorkelling in Sydney.
1. Little Bay
Where is it? Eastern Suburbs, about 16km from Sydney CBD.
How do you get there? It’s about a 25-minute drive from the city, with free, unlimited street parking nearby. Or, it’s about 45 minutes by bus.
What will you see? Cuttlefish, wobbegongs, bull rays and plenty of common rays.
Watch out for: The swells when crossing between the headlands. If you’re not a strong swimmer, you may want to stick to just one side. It’s usually not too bad, but sometimes there can be a bit of a pull.
Facilities: Toilets and showers are available. There’s also usually a cart at the top of the stairs to the beach serving coffee and snacks.
This calm-watered bay is perfect for beginners wanting to get a taste of what Sydney’s snorkelling scene has to offer. There’s little to no waves lapping at the beach and as long as you stay away from the opening between the headlands it will stay that way.
There’s usually plenty of colourful fish swimming around and you’re just about guaranteed to see a ray or two hiding in the sand. With clear-blue waters and surrounded by a lush green golf course, on a warm, summer’s day it feels rather tropical here. But really, you’re only about 30 minutes from the city centre.
2. Malabar Boat Ramp
Where is it? Eastern Suburbs, about 16km from Sydney CBD.
How do you get there? It’s either a 20-minute drive from Sydney CBD or a 45-minute bus journey. You can park for free at the boat ramp or along Fishermans Road for up to four hours.
What will you see? Wobbegongs, blue gropers, guitarfish, bull rays and even nudibranchs (rare, but we’ve seen them!).
Watch out for: Urchins. In some parts, especially where it’s a bit shallow, there’s a lot of them. The boat ramp can also be a bit slippery upon entry and exit, so be careful when getting in and out of the water.
Facilities: Toilets and showers are available. On weekends in the summer months, there’s often a snack truck or cart at the beach end. There’s also a cafe across the street, and a playground and barbecues in Cromwell Park.
While the picture above may not be the Malabar Beach you’re thinking of, it is where the best snorkelling is. You certainly can swim here from the beach (we’ve done it plenty of times), but if you want to just dive right in and see things right away, you’ll want to start here. This is Malabar Boat Ramp, along the northern shore of Long Bay, at the end of Fishermans Road.
It’s not just fish that you’ll see around here, either. You’ll find red coral clinging to the rocks in parts and soft pinks and purples in the shallows.
(There is some snorkelling along the rocks by the beach too, but the water tends to be a bit murkier here. Swimming out further toward the boat ramp will get you the best visibility.)
3. Clovelly
Where is it? Eastern Suburbs, about 10km from Sydney CBD.
How do you get there? It’s a 15-minute drive or a 20-minute bus journey. There’s free, unlimited street parking nearby and a car park next to the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club with free, four-hour parking.
What will you see? Blue gropers, common rays.
Watch out for: Kids jumping off the concrete into the water. Some of the most interesting sea life is along the edges of the bay, but people do tend to jump in off the edges, so just keep an eye out if you tend to duck dive.
Facilities: Toilets and showers are available. There’s also a cafe and playground at the beach.
A long-time favourite for a reason, Clovelly almost feels like one big swimming pool that’s teaming with sea life. The bay is nearly closed off from the ocean, except for a small opening, that allows fish and fresh water to come in, but keeps the waves out.
A few friendly blue gropers call the bay home and you’re just about guaranteed to see them when swimming here.
4. Gordon’s Bay
Where is it? Eastern Suburbs, about 10km from Sydney CBD.
How do you get there? It’s a 15-minute drive or 25-minute bus ride from the city. If you’re taking the bus, you will need to walk over to the beach from nearby Clovelly. (But it’s less than 10 minutes away)
What will you see? Wobbegongs, common stingrays, blue gropers.
Watch out for: Rays in the shallows. There are plenty of rays in this bay, which is great when snorkelling, but they often appear close to the shore and you’ll want to avoid stepping on them.
Facilities: None available.
It may be in Sydney, but Gordon’s Bay sure feels like the Mediterranean. The turquoise waters here are almost always crystal clear and the rock formations along the sides of the bay are just perfect for sunbathing in between swims.
There’s plenty of fish, rays and sea plants to see along the rocks on both sides. If you’re up for a bit of a swim, head along the northern side of the bay toward the car park at Clovelly. Eventually, you’ll come across the 600 metre-long Gordon’s Bay Dive Trail. It is a bit deep in parts as it’s designed for divers, but there is quite a bit of sea life to see along it.
5. Bare Island/Congwong Beach
Where is it? Eastern Suburbs, 18km from Sydney CBD.
How do you get there? It’s a 30-minute drive or 1-hour bus ride from the city.
What will you see? Port Jackson sharks, sea sponges, blue gropers and, if you’re lucky, sea dragons.
Watch out for: Swells if you swim out to Bare Island. It can also be a bit tough to enter the water from the rocks near Bare Island, so you may be more comfortable entering the water from the beach.
Facilities: Toilets are available. There’s usually an ice cream truck parked outside too. A short walk across the grassy field at La Perouse will also get you to some more dining options.
Both a beautiful beach and snorkel site, this site also had a coastal walking track. So, if you’re looking to spend a full day at La Perouse then this may just be the spot for you.
As long as there’s not much wind and the weather has been fair, the water here is generally calm and clear. It’s not as busy as some of the other snorkel sites in the Eastern suburbs, too. So you won’t have to worry about swimming into others while you’re trying to spot fish.
6. Shelly Beach
Where is it? Manly, on he Northern Beaches.
How do you get there? It’s a 20-minute ferry ride to Manly from Circular Quay and about a 20-minute walk from the ferry wharf to Shelly Beach.
What will you see? Gropers, wobbegongs, nudibranchs, octopus, weedy sea dragons and the other-wordly looking sea tulips.
Watch out for: The visibility after a few rainy days can be pretty poor.
Facilities: Toilets and showers are available.
Providing an easy entry point to Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Shelly Beach is the lone Northern Beaches spot to make our list. Along the rocky coast on the western wide of the beach, you’ll find plenty of rocks teaming with fish and plantlife.
The waters around Shelly Beach are nice and calm, and the further toward Manly Beach you swim, you’ll notice the water does get a bit rougher. So if you’re not a strong swimmer, you may want to stay closer to the sands of Shelly.
We are putting this one at the bottom of our list because, while many people rave about the quality of snorkelling here, we’ve not been very lucky. It could have just been the conditions, but we’re yet to swim here when the water is clear and we can truly see what all the fuss is about.
Where else can you snorkel in Sydney?
While we’ve listed above the places we’ve tried and tested for snorkelling in Sydney, there are a few other places we’re yet to try out. If they’re near you and you go, we’d love to hear about them! When we do go (and if we recommend it), we’ll add it to the list above.
- The Basin, Ku-ring-hai Chase National Park
- Oak Park, Cronulla
- Kurnell, Botany Bay National Park
When is the best time to go snorkelling in Sydney?
We recommend going during the summer months, between December and March. The later in the season, the warmer the water is. The water temperatures get pretty chilly outside of summer.
We’d also avoid the water for about a week after heavy rain. Run-off can cause the water to get a bit murky and you won’t be able to see as much.
At beaches like Little Bay, we’d also recommend going during high tide. There’s quite a difference in water depth and at low tide some of the rocks get quite close to the surface making it a bit more challenging.
Do you need a wetsuit when snorkelling in Sydney?
It depends how cold you get. During the summer months (December to March), we just wear our swimmers. But, if we want to go in a month earlier or later, we’ll usually wear a pair of swimming or surf leggings and a rashie for a bit of extra warmth.
In November, the water was warm enough for us to stay in for about an hour wearing swim leggings.
The water in Sydney never really gets warm, so if you tend to get cold when just swimming at the beach, you’ll probably want to layer up.
Can you rent snorkel equipment at any of these spots?
- Shelly Beach: Manly Surf Hire rents a mask and snorkel for $10 per day. You can add fins ($5) and a wetsuit ($10) for an additional cost.
While not at a beach, you can also hire gear from these companies:
- Abyss Scuba Diving: Hire a mask, snorkel, fins and boots for $36 (or 10% off if booked online)
Does Sydney have good snorkelling?
Of course, “good” is subjective. But if you’re looking for clear, clean water with plenty to see then yes, Sydney has good snorkelling. While you shouldn’t expect brilliantly coloured coral reefs and rainbow-coloured fish all around you, there still are some beautiful and fascinating things to see in the waters at spots like Clovelly, Gordon’s Bay and Little Bay.
We very often see wobbegongs, blue gropers, cuttlefish, a range of rays and even nudibranchs.
