About This Trip
The Solitary Islands are truly one of Australia’s great dive locations. Situated in a protected marine park, they are rich in bio-diversity because the warm waters of the East Australian Current meet with the cool, nutrient rich currents from the south. This unique blend allows tropical, sub tropical and temperate marine communities to co-exist in the same area; in fact, 80% of the population is tropical, so you find hard corals and tropical fish all year round. Sighting’s of manta rays and leopard sharks are common in summer and the area has been known to be visited by whale sharks on rare occasions so this place has it all.
Dive Sites
This Island has several sites including Anemone Bay, The Steps, Canyons, Mackerel Run and Elbow Cave. The island has the most variety of coral and tropical fish, but it is most famous for the serious amount of anemone gardens and clown fish. Some claim there is more per square metre than anywhere else in the world. All year round you will see grey nurse sharks, hammerheads, sandbar sharks, turtles, moorish idols, banner fish, several types of angel & butterfly fish, plus seasonal visitors like manta rays, blue spotted rays, leopard sharks and more.
North West Rock- Fish Soup 6 - 15 metres
This small group of rocks is home to Fish Soup. This dive site is like a bowl of fish with schools of mangrove jacks, jewfish, sweetlips, bream, tarwhine, trevally and seasonal whale sharks.
Pimpernel Rock 8 - 46 metres
This is a mecca for those who like big fish and grey nurse sharks added in with spectacular underwater formations. Pimpernel rises from a depth of 46 metres and at it’s base there is a huge archway that runs through the bottom where you will find tones of baitfish and grey nurse sharks. Other highlights include schooling jewfish up to 500 strong and 4 feet in length, kingfish, hunting yellowtail and big eye trevally cascading over the rock alongside lots of reef fish such as, fairy basslets, wrasse, wobbegongs, moray eels and patrolling eagle rays.
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