Tasmania offers a diving experience far removed from that of the usual coral reefs and warm waters of Australia. Nonetheless, this tiny island off the southern coast holds a host of diving possibilities for those prepared to travel a little farther afield.

Unsung Island

Tasmania is a small island dwarfed by the immensity of mainland Australia to the north. It measures only 186 miles (300 km) from north to south, and is frequently overlooked by divers visiting Australia, distracted by the magnitude of the Great Barrier Reef and the big animals of Ningaloo Reef.

Tasmanian divers are delighted at this relative anonymity, since the island offers some of the finest kelp forests on Earth and some gloriously colorful and diverse cold-water dives. Currents rich in oxygen and nutrients sweep up from the icy waters to the south, giving life to wonderfully dense kelp forests and heavily colonized rock walls.

Small Wonders

Of particular note is the abundance of smaller animals, such as red handfish, although the island also plays host to numerous penguins, Australian fur seals, a number of different types of sharks, and a variety of visiting whale and dolphin species. This rich diversity means that divers visiting Tasmania come to appreciate the true breadth of Australia’s natural heritage.

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