September 2008

Take the Plunge

Make a splash this holiday by jumping into the water for these hair-raising animal adventures

WORDS LUKE WRIGHT

Photo: Photolibrary/Stephen Frink

For some families, school holidays might mean a trip to the zoo or watching a little Discovery Channel. But for others – those with an appetite for adventure – it’s time to get up close and personal with the animals and jump in the deep end.

With endless coastline and countless incredible creatures swimming in its seas, Australia offers many extraordinary opportunities to interact safely with the animals of the big deep blue. Whether you’re playing with a seal or eyeballing a great white shark, putting on the goggles and coming face to face with these creatures is a fun and fascinating way to enjoy a holiday. We bring you Australia’s most amazing underwater experiences.

Bottlenose Dolphins

An underwater adventure with dolphins is a truly uplifting experience. As they click, whistle, jump and splash, it’s impossible not to smile at their playful antics. The West Australian coast, top to bottom, is a dolphin’s domain and they can be spotted there year round.

Rockingham Wild Encounters, 40 minutes south of Perth, offers brilliant tours that take you swimming with up to 180 wild bottlenose dolphins in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean. With a central Perth pick-up, these all-inclusive tours start from AU$195.

Reef Helmet Dive

For those who want more of an educational experience in a controlled environment, Sea World on the Gold Coast is a top spot to get wet with the dolphins, sharks, manta rays, seals and more. It’s the only place in Australia where you can put on an underwater viewing helmet and, with just a little instruction, mingle with the amazing array of animals on display. This educational program lasts for about 50 minutes (20 in the water) and all equipment is supplied. No dive qualifications are necessary.

The Reef Helmet Dive costs AU$80 (must be over 14 years old); park entry not included.

Sea Lions

Photo: Tourism South Australia/
Adam Bruzzone Baird Bay is an isolated little fishing village on the Eyre Peninsula, 700km west of Adelaide, South Australia. This place is known far and wide for its abundant marine life and as the place to swim and be silly with Australian sea lions.

In the early 1990s, Alan Payne and his wife, Patricia, jumped into Baird Bay with a little brown-eyed baby seal lion. Ever since, they’ve forged a friendship with generations of sea lions and now want to share the experience with visitors. After a trip on a glass-bottomed boat, you’ll have the opportunity to get in the water and interact with these whiskered scallywags who love playing games. All-inclusive tours start at AU$120 per person.

Whale Sharks

The whale shark is the world’s biggest fish. At almost 20m in length, with more than 300 rows of teeth, and a mouth up to 1.5m wide, these giant monsters are not at all as fearsome as they sound. These filter feeders are placid animals that pose no threat to humans. Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia is one of their favourite feeding places and is the top spot to snorkel among these graceful giants.

If you’re a confident swimmer and snorkeller, Coral Bay Adventures offer day tours swimming with whale sharks from AU$365, including spotter planes, snorkelling gear, wetsuits and lunch.

Cage of Death

Apparently, crocodiles have a downward-bite strength of up to 3,000 pounds per square inch and will chomp at anything that gets in their way. So it seems a little odd that tourists are lining up to jump in the water with Choppa, a 5.5m saltwater crocodile with a bad attitude. But anything is possible in Darwin where a new theme park, Crocosaurus Cove, has recently opened.

Described as a shark-cage without the bars, the 2.8 metre-high clear plastic box allows paying punters to spend 15 minutes underwater while Choppa tries his best to bite them in half. It’s all perfectly safe, if not a little insane, and is sure to get the heart thumping. Cage of Death AU$120 (must be over 16 years old); park entry not included.

Whale Watching

Australia boasts one of the best whale-watching seasons in the world and is the perfect place for sighting these magnificent animals – up to 40 species. June to November is the best time to get the binoculars out and book a tour. Here are some hotspots:

• South Australia: Victor Harbor
• Western Australia: Albany
• New South Wales: Byron Bay
• Victoria: Warrnambool
• Tasmania: Bruny Island
• Queensland: Hervey Bay

Potato Cods

Photo: Photolibrary As one of the world’s most awesome reef systems, the Great Barrier Reef is a fantastic place to face-off with underwater wildlife. Not far from Lizard Island, north of Cairns, is the world renowned Cod Hole – a place to swim with and feed the giant potato cod. These friendly two metre giants are endlessly curious and appear as interested in divers as the divers are in them.

Lizard Island Resort operates diving tours to the Barrier Reef, including the Cod Hole. Half-day trips start at AU$130.

Great White Sharks

Scared? They can smell fear you know
Photo: Photolibrary/Jeff RotmanSome might argue that putting on scuba gear, climbing inside a reinforced steel cage, and descending into the Southern Ocean with ferocious great white sharks is possibly the stupidest thing a person can do. Others might argue it’s one of the most thrilling adventures on the planet. Given that it’s entirely safe, we’ll argue the latter. The Southern Ocean off Port Lincoln, South Australia, is one of the few locations worldwide where these magnificent beasts can be regularly spotted. There’s no diving experience needed, just a fearless heart that can withstand the adrenaline-thumping action.

Calypso Star Charter provides all-inclusive tours out to the Neptune Islands for AU$375 per person, plus AU$20 for wetsuit hire. Best time to go: now to November.

Animal Conservation:
It’s important to remember that you’re entering a wild animal’s domain with these tours. Be mindful of their personal space and how your actions can impact them. Be sure not to feed, touch or harm any animals.

What to Bring:
Many tour operators supply food and gear. But it’s wise to bring your own towel, sunscreen, hat and warm dry clothes (even in summer). And don’t forget your camera. A reasonable level of fitness and swimming experience is recommended.

Find It:

Rockingham Wild Encounters
Rockingham Beach, Western Australia, tel: +61 (8) 9591 1333
Sea World
Sea World Drive, Main Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland, tel: +61 (7) 5588 2205
Baird Bay
Streaky Bay, South Australia, tel: +61 (8) 8626 5017
Coral Bay Adventures
Robinson St, Coral Bay, Western Australia, tel: +61 (8) 9942 5955
Crocosaurus Cove
50 Mitchell St, Darwin, Northern Territory, tel: +61 (8) 8981 7522
Lizard Island Resort
Lizard Island, Queensland, tel: +61 1300 134 044
Calypso Star
Charter 3/10 South Quay Blvd, Port Lincoln, South Australia, tel: +61 (8) 8682 3939