Rapid Bay and Edithburgh are shore-diving sites on the Fleurieu and Yorke peninsulas of South Australia, both famous for one endemic animal: the leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques). Dives are shallow, easy, and under old wooden jetties where leafies drift among the pilings. Water is cold year-round — bring a 7mm suit or a drysuit — and visibility is moderate rather than tropical. Weedy seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) share the same habitat and are often seen on the same dive.
The year at a glance
- Water
- 18–21 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 18–21 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 18–20 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 16–19 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 15–17 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 13–16 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 13–15 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 13–15 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 14–16 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 15–17 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- moderate
- Water
- 16–19 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- low
- Water
- 18–20 °C
- Viz
- 8–15 m
- Sea
- calm
- Rain
- low
Signature dive sites
The sites you'll hear about in every briefing.
- 01
Rapid Bay Jetty
Historic wooden jetty; shore dive, 6–10m, resident leafies.
- 02
Edithburgh Jetty
Yorke Peninsula jetty; macro, weedy seadragons, cuttlefish.
What you'll see
Top species with their April status.
Getting there
Gateway
Fly into Adelaide (ADL). Visa: eVisitor or ETA required for most nationalities.
Best months
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec