stenhouse bay
Any visitor to South Australia’s Innes National Park located at the southern tip of the Yorke Peninsula always leaves with a sense of wonder. The pristine beaches and sheer cliff faces frame a wild blue ocean. But many leave without exploring these waters and truly understanding the diverse range of marine life that lay below .
100 years of history
Shortly after entering the park, a turnoff to Stenhouse Bay Jetty is a popular first stop for tourists exploring the park. The heritage-listed site, once a primary mining source for gypsum - today, like many jetties along the Great Southern Reef, has evolved over it’s century long existence to form a thriving artificial reef, making an ideal site for both diving and fishing.
The vibrant turquoise blue waters of the bay and the entirety of the jetty are visible from a covered picnic lookout at the top of the hill looking down, a great spot to relax before and after the dive. The water around the entry is shallow and on a good weather day will be crystal clear, which makes it a great location for snorkelling and swimming as well.
Getting in
The entry is the main challenge of this dive site and should be approached with caution - especially for those carrying cameras. The distance from the car park to the jetty is around 300 metres and, therefore, divers should be capable of carrying their dive gear and entering the water with the gear via a vertical step ladder. It is also worth noting that this dive site is susceptible to large swells and careful observation of conditions should be made prior to diving.
The reward
Divers are instantly rewarded for their efforts at Stenhouse Bay. The pylons are covered with sponges and seaweeds with a distinct colour palette of pinks, purples with spots of white, blue and green. A unique feature of this site is the large number of pink and purple basket stars clamped onto both the pylons and the surrounding reef structures. Lucky divers may catch a glimpse of these mysterious animals feeding — a truly mesmerising site.
Towards the end of the jetty the pylons get even more interesting, with many supporting colourful cold water gorgonian corals, usually only found in much deeper waters. At the end of the jetty are artificial reef structures including an overturned vehicle surrounded with small schools of fish and covered with kelps, seaweeds and sponges — only really recognisable by its tyres. Along the dive you’ll see many different types of fish, including boarfish, pipefish, cowfish and even the chance of seadragons among the seagrass.
Fast Facts:
Unique species: Basket stars, gorgonian corals, boarfish, seadragons.
Max. depth: 10m
Accessibility: Long walk from carpark area to jetty. Entry via vertical ladder. Dive on low swell day only.
How to get there: Bottom of the Yorke Peninsula, 3 hours, 15 minutes drive from Adelaide. Enter via Innes National Park (day permit required).
Nearest tank fill: Edithburgh (1 hour dive).
