VIDEO: The best Australian dive sites

By Kara Murphy November 7, 2013
Reading Time: < 1 Print this page
Diver and photojournalist Kara Murphy shares some of her favourite corners of underwater Australia.

Diver and photojournalist Kara Murphy shares some of her favourite corners of underwater Australia.

I’VE VISITED MYRIAD AUSTRALIAN reefs while on assignment as a travel journalist. I have covered Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef for a yachting magazine, Lady Elliot Island for a seniors’ magazine, and the manta rays of Ningaloo Reef, WA for Australian Geographic.

SEE AUSTRALIA’S TOP 10 DIVE SITES

Filming reefs underwater

Heaven to me is being in the ocean, observing and interacting with large marine life. While I see scuba diving as a peaceful activity, I’ve become quite a cautious diver and my favourite dives are shallow ones, such as the Cod Hole and Heron Bommie, both in the Great Barrier Reef.

My favourite in-water experiences require only a mask and snorkel – swimming alongside turtles, or free diving amid manta ray feeding frenzies off Lady Elliot Island.

In photographic terms, free diving is a wise choice because you can vary your depth/position in the water in a much safer manner. Shallower depths also allow for much more effective use of natural light.

All footage in this video was captured using a GoPro.

 

RELATED ARTICLES
GALLERY: Incredible new images of Aussie reefs
The mysterious world of pygmy seahorses
The mysterious world of seadragons
10-year census finds thousands of new species
3-D maps reveal depths of the ocean floor
Coral spawning: a rare natural wonder
Sea cucumber poo to save Great Barrier Reef
Protecting the Coral Sea
Sawfish uses snout to detect and stab prey
GALLERY: State of our oceans