South Australia
Pacific & Oceania
Australia
£2.50
South Australia: The Realm of Dragons and Aliens
South Australia is the cold-water counterpoint to the Great Barrier Reef, and it is arguably even more unique. This is the heart of the "Great Southern Reef," a temperate wonderland where the water is crisp, the kelp is tall, and the animals look like they came from another planet. The headline act here is the annual aggregation of Giant Cuttlefish in Whyalla—the only place in the world where these massive, color-changing cephalopods gather by the thousands to mate in waist-deep water. But the region is also the exclusive home of the Leafy Seadragon, a creature so ornate and camouflaged it looks more like floating seaweed than a fish.
Why We Chose This Sticker Design
This design is a celebration of Southern Australia's two most famous endemic residents. On the right, we illustrated the Leafy Seadragon in all its intricate glory, highlighting the leaf-like appendages that make it the absolute master of disguise in the seagrass. On the left, we contrasted that stillness with the vibrant, alien energy of a Giant Cuttlefish, depicted in a deep purple hue to represent the spectacular color displays they perform during mating season. The green, kelp-filled background sets the scene for this temperate underwater forest.
Diving South Australia
South Australia offers cold-water diving with three unusual draws. The Neptune Islands, off Port Lincoln, are the only place in Australia licensed for great white shark cage diving, run from surface cages in open ocean. At Whyalla, the giant Australian cuttlefish gathers each winter in the only known mass breeding aggregation of its kind, thousands of animals crowded into a stretch of shallow rocky shore. And along the Fleurieu and Yorke peninsulas, jetty dives hold leafy sea dragons — a species found nowhere else in the world.
- Best time to dive
- Cuttlefish May to August; great whites year-round, larger sharks in winter
- Difficulty
- Intermediate — cold water; cage diving needs no certification
- Water temperature
- 12–21°C — drysuit or thick wetsuit
- Visibility
- 5–20m
Top dive sites
- •Neptune Islands — Great white cage diving from Port Lincoln
- •Whyalla — Giant Australian cuttlefish aggregation in winter
- •Rapid Bay jetty — The classic leafy sea dragon dive
- •Edithburgh jetty — Outstanding macro life under the pilings
What you’ll see
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a diver for great white cage diving?
No. The standard surface cage at the Neptune Islands hangs off the boat and uses a hookah air supply, so you breathe easily at the surface with no certification and no prior experience — you simply climb in. Some operators have offered a deeper ocean-floor cage that does require certification. Trips run from Port Lincoln and involve a long boat journey, so factor in sea conditions. Sightings are seasonal in character, with larger females more common in the cooler months.
What is the Whyalla cuttlefish aggregation?
Each winter, from roughly May to August, giant Australian cuttlefish gather in the shallows near Whyalla in northern Spencer Gulf to breed — the only known mass aggregation of its kind anywhere. Thousands of animals crowd a short stretch of rocky coast in just a few metres of water, males flashing colour to compete for females. It is shallow enough to snorkel and accessible from shore, though the water is cold, so a good wetsuit or drysuit is essential.
