The Best Marine Life Encounters for Freedivers
As a freediver and underwater photographer, one of my favourite things to do when I’m in the ocean is to sink silently beneath the surface, hold on to a rock whilst staying completely still, and watch the ocean come to life around me. Unlike scuba, freediving allows you to stay underwater without disturbing marine life - there’s no bulky equipment, no violent stream of bubbles and no noise. With freediving you don’t feel like an observer looking in on another world, you feel as though you are actually part of it. You’ll notice that the more still and calm you are, the more awe-inspiring interactions with marine life you will have. In this post, I will talk you through my top five marine life encounters, how to have respectful interactions, and the best spots to find them.
#5 Turtles
Everyone loves turtles and it’s not hard to see why - their sweet little old man faces and their shy, placid nature makes them one of my favourite ocean inhabitants. Lady Elliot Island is a coral cay located in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, QLD - and it is turtle heaven! I remember losing count at twenty-something on one dive alone, and you can even witness hatchlings making their way down the shore if you time your trip right.
Turtle tip: Like most marine creatures, turtles don’t like to be followed and will most likely take off at the speed of light if they feel that way, so always give turtles their space and try to observe them from a distance without making any sudden movements.
Best spots to see turtles:
Lady Elliot Island, QLD - home to many different types of turtles and a turtle breeding location
Shelly Beach, Manly - resident green turtle ‘Billy’
Seal Rocks, NSW - I have seen seven turtles in one dive at this spot!
Swimming with one of many turtles at Lady Elliot Island, QLD.
#4 Australian Giant Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are my number one marine creature to photograph because they really know how to put on a show. These guys have otherworldly abilities to change colour, shape and texture as they congregate along the shores of Australia during winter in a bid to find a mate. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll spot two males putting on a display of dominance, splaying their impressive tentacles and changing from purple to white.
Cuttlefish Tip: Their ability to camouflage and imitate kelp can make them tricky to spot and they often like hiding under rock shelves, so you have to be patient and keep your eyes peeled.
Best spots to see giant cuttlefish:
Whyalla, South Australia - this is where the annual cuttlefish migration takes place during winter, where tens of thousands of cuttlefish converge to find a mate
Shelly Beach, Manly
Two male cuttlefish put on a colourful display of dominance, in Whyalla, South Australia.
#3 Grey Nurse Sharks
Being a massive shark fan, grey nurse sharks definitely had to make my top three marine encounters. These beautiful sharks may look intimidating, but they’re shy and flighty and pose very little threat to humans (saying that, they are still wild animals with sharp teeth!)
My best experiences with these sharks have been at Bushrangers Bay, NSW, diving down to the bottom and waiting at the edge of the gutter in the centre of the bay where they congregate. This location is known as a grey nurse shark nursery, so many of the sharks you will see here are smaller juveniles; it’s a significant location for these endangered sharks, so it’s really important that they continue to feel safe and free from harassment here.
Grey Nurse Shark Tip: If you follow them or swim towards them, grey nurse sharks will get scared and most likely swim away at great speed, so always avoid this. Approach from a distance and let them come to you.
Best spots to see grey nurse sharks:
South Bondi
Shelly Beach, Manly
Making friends with grey nurse sharks in Shelly Beach, Manly.
#2 Seals
These guys were very nearly at the top of my list, my spirit animal - the Australian Fur Seal. You literally can’t have a bad day when you are hanging out with a bunch of seals - they’re the most playful, inquisitive and lively creatures you can possibly find in the ocean, and, unlike most other marine life, they’re definitely not shy. A challenge to shoot (I mean photograph, obviously!) due to their incredible speed and unpredictable nature, seals will swim, jump, chase, blow bubbles at you and nibble on your fins. You don’t need to worry about being still and silent, the more you dive and spin around, the more attention they will give you.
Seal Tip: One thing to note is that although these guys are super friendly in the water, they are not so friendly on land - it’s always dangerous to approach seals on land as they feel vulnerable and can get aggressive. They also weigh a ton and have very sharp teeth, so as cute as they are, don’t get too close.
Best spots to see seals:
Jervis Bay
Dancing with seals in Narooma, NSW.
#1 Humpback Whales
I don’t think there’s any experience on Earth like staring into the eye of a sixteen-metre humpback whale as it’s looking directly at you, and that’s why they’re at the top of the list! My best marine life encounter was in Eua, Tonga, when we came across two sleeping whales resting at around thirty metres depth. With the incredible clarity of Eua’s waters, we could could see the whales far beneath the surface as we hovered above them. Diving down, I was shrouded by whalesong which reverberated through my entire body. Then, seemingly without any effort at all, the whales slowly began to rise from the deep, emerging into the light of the shallow water. Moving in tandem, synchronised with every fin and tail movement, the two whales circled us, coming within just a few metres to check us out. It was this moment that was the most magical of all my freediving experiences; when you look into the eye of a humpback whale, there really is no other feeling like it in the world. It is a ‘money can’t buy’ moment, that you will remember for the rest of your life.
The great news is, you don’t have to travel out of Australia to experience encounters with humpback whales. During the migration period, whales are spotted daily from Sydney’s coast and they often come in super close to shore. I actually swam with three whales right off of the beach in Bondi last year, which was probably the most unreal encounter of my life! And even if you don’t get to see them, you most definitely will hear them, and that is almost just as magical.
Best spots to see/hear humpack whales:
Anywhere along the East coast during the migration period - Bondi seems to be a popular spot for whales in my experience!
Jervis Bay
Eua, Tonga
A huge humpback whale comes in for a close-up in Eua, Tonga.
And there you have it, five of the best marine life encounters that you can enjoy while freediving. If you want to jump into the world of freediving and experience it for yourself, learn to freedive!
Another world awaits!
See you in the water soon.