It’s no secret that plunging into water can be rejuvenating and even meditative. Why not add some iconic Aussie animals to the mix?
By Michelle Hespe
I’ve spent time with some of the most awe-inspiring creatures in the world – hanging out with polar bears in the Arctic Circle, rounding up buffalo in the Rocky Mountains, and swimming with giant turtles in Vanuatu.
However, there’s nothing quite like swimming off the Australian coastline with some of our most iconic wildlife in that special silence that only comes with being underwater.
Entry Level: Swim with seals at Montague Island, NSW
You can swim with seals year-round at Montague Island Nature Reserve, near Narooma on NSW’s Far South Coast. It’s hard not to fall in love with their friendly, goofy behaviour and their cute-as-a-button faces.
Montague Island is described as Australia’s answer to Galapagos Island due to the wild array of marine life. You’ll not only swim with seals, but also see grey nurse sharks and rays.
Stay: A typical holiday apartment in Narooma is $200 a night.
Play: Montague Island Adventures has a 4-hour guided island tour and seal swim. Refreshments, wetsuits, and snorkelling gear are provided for $165.
Price: Around $365 for a weekend getaway
Getting there: Narooma is a 4.5 hour drive from Sydney
Mid range: Swim with dolphins at Kangaroo Island, SA
The guides at Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures pride themselves on not using props or food used to entice dolphins to play with swimmers, and so they behave entirely naturally.
Glide into another world, where you can watch dolphins play like they do in an Attenborough documentary. Your experience is in shallow waters where you can touch the bottom, and is dubbed the ‘dolphin’s loungeroom’.
Stay: On the foreshore of KI’s town of Kingscote, Aurora Ozone Hotel has rooms for $179 a night and it’s a one-hour drive to the boat’s departure jetty.
Play: The Island Explorer and Dolphin Swim Tour run for three hours. Wetsuits, snorkelling gear and morning tea is included for $230.
Price: Around $770 for a 3-day getaway.
Getting There: You’ll need to take the ferry from Cape Jervis to Kangaroo Island, and hire a car when there, as the ferry does not accept hire cars. The ferry is $118 return, and a hire a car is around $240 for two days.
Luxe: Swim with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef WA
One of the most jaw-dropping wildlife encounters in the world is swimming with majestic whale sharks. Despite having ‘whale’ in its name, whale sharks are a shark, which makes them the largest fish in the ocean.
At around 12 metres in length, these gentle giants move slowly and gracefully, going no faster than five kilometres an hour.
With their artfully spotted bodies and enormous filter-feeding mouths that look like giant smiles, it’s a joyful experience to see one in clear waters.
The best time to go is March to July when the whale sharks migrate to the area.
Stay/Play: For a luxe, off-the-grid adventure like no other, at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef Safari Camp, wake up to the largest fringing World Heritage-listed coral reef in the world just metres from your deck.
A 3-night, 4-day package for $3,615 per person includes all meals, a whale shark dive and transfers from Exmouth airport.
Price: There are many operators offering whale shark dives for around $400-$500.
Getting there: It’s a 45-minute drive from Exmouth Airport to Sal Salis.
