Chris AshtonIt’s one of Australia’s most popular destinations, yet there’s a hidden side to Byron Bay that many travellers (and indeed some locals) don’t even realise exists. It’s the Nguthungulli-Julian Rocks dive site. Just 2.5 kilometres off the coast of Byron, it’s a marine wonderland where the temperate and tropical waters meet. We’d go so far to call it Byron’s greatest treasure.
Swimming amidst a kaleidoscope of colourful fish in the shallow waters of The Nursery, feeling dwarfed by Grey Nurse sharks at the Cod Hole, witnessing Manta rays floating gracefully between the huge bommies of The Needles… every dive is a new adventure. It’s where I learned to dive and it still holds my attention almost 20 years later.
How do you get there? With one of the local dive operators Sundive or Byron Bay Dive Centre. It’s just a short 10-minute boat ride from The Pass boat ramp. (And if you visit in the winter months, there’s a good chance you’ll spy Humpback whales on the way.)
Founded in 1988, Sundive is the only PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre in town – and our top pick for snorkellers and dive, from beginners right through to advanced.
Marine biologist David Robinson (former Assistant Curator of the Burj Al Arab Aquarium in Dubai) and acclaimed underwater photographer Simone Caprodossi have been at the helm of Sundive since December 2018, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise. They’ve also launched several citizen science initiatives in the years since, including the Cape Byron Leopard Shark Project and Cape Byron Wobbegong Project.
We caught up with David to learn what inspired the duo to move to Byron Bay and their favourite dive sites at Julian Rocks.
What attracted you to the Byron Shire?
I visited Byron for the first time in 2007 after my friends Andy and Stu, moved here; being a keen diver, one of the first things I did was book a dive out to Julian Rocks. I was amazed by the diversity of marine life; it was something I wasn’t expecting. I returned to Byron again in 2017 with Simone in tow and, our good friend Simon arranged to take us diving. Yet again, we had a couple of fantastic dives, and we were both thoroughly impressed with not only the marine life but also the beauty of the location.
What are your three must-sees out at Julian Rocks and why?
This is a tough question, only three? Julian Rocks is a special place and, in my opinion, is of the best sites in Australia, if not the world to dive! For me, one of the highlights of the year is the leopard shark aggregation that takes place in the summer months.
Julian Rocks is probably the best place in the world to experience free swimming leopard sharks in such high numbers. It is an amazing spectacle to see, and one of the good things about it is that if you don’t dive, you can see the leopard sharks just as well by snorkelling!
Also in the summer months, we get manta rays passing through the area who make pit stops for cleaning at Julian Rocks. To encounter these, you need to be pretty lucky but, this season was a good season for manta encounters. Let’s hope next season exceeds this one!
Finally, I would say the turtles of Julian Rocks have to be in my top three. We get a mix of cold and warm water currents at Julian Rocks which means we get a mix of temperate and tropical species, and this includes sea turtles.
On a good day, it is common to see three species of sea turtle, hawksbill, green and loggerhead, and they are just as easy to observe on snorkel, as they are diving. The loggerheads here are like nowhere I have dived before; huge males and females that are decades old and with no fear of humans whatsoever. These sea turtles frequently make for exciting encounters with divers; they are amazing!
Sundive is located at 8/11 Middleton Street, Byron Bay (just around the corner from Aquarius Backpackers Resort).
Learn more at sundive.com.au
