Wooli Dive Centre
Your guide to the finest Diving and Snorkelling on the North Coast, of New South Wales, Australia
Scuba Dive
Dive the spectacular North Solitary Islands in style on the Kraken, a 12m aluminium cat powered by twin 300hp Suzuki outboards that is possibly the best dive boat operating on the NSW coast.
The Kraken
Designed specifically for diving, the Kraken is a 12m aluminium cat powered by twin 300hp Suzuki outboards.
She has twin side doors for easy entry into the water, an easy to use ladder to help you get back on board, and has a very large deck. Of course a toilet is on board for your convenience. This all makes for a very relaxing trip out at the North Solitary Islands. A delicious morning tea of hot soup and tea and cake is always served during the surface interval and you can even sunbake on the front deck and enjoy the ocean view.
The Dive Experience
The Islands are just a short 20 minute ride away and will provide you with some absolutely world class diving. The Islands are not only home to the temperate species, but being the southern most limit of permanent colonies of tropical species, you are certain to be amazed by the diversity of sealife.
The gardens at Anemone Bay are home to myriads of Anemone Fish including the now famous Clownfish, and anywhere you are likely to see turtles, rays, and Grey Nurse Sharks as well as smaller macro life such as the numerous species of Nudis.
Variety of Dive Sites
The size of the Islands that make up the North Solitaries provides a variety of sites, each having its own micro habitat, and also means that there are nearly always sheltered diveable sites.
View details about the stunning diving sites in the North Solitary Island marine park below.
NORTH SOLITARY ISLAND – Depth: 10m to 42m
Features: A number of different diving types & Snorkelling.
North Solitary Island is only 7 nautical miles from Wooli. The marine park reserve is famous for a diverse variety of marine life, thickly populated at different dive locations around the Island. At the northeastern end is a small sheltered inlet called Bay of Anemones. The boulder strewn site is carpeted with anemones and numerous anemonefish, cowries, rays, turtles and hard and soft corals.
The Step is a rocky drop off; the wall drops from 15m to 45m and numerous sharks, giant manta ray, giant cod, eagle and bull rays patrol this section.
The Canyons is another popular spot. best described as a multi-coloured aquarium with a few southern species thrown in. Also famous for Painted Cray’s and large diveable depressions in the ocean floor.
The Bubble Cave near a spot called Southern Anchorage. The cave is very dark, and a torch is needed to appreciate it, and there are air bubbles trapped at the top of the cave. Fish life includes Lion Fish, large schools of White Bait and Spanish Dancers at times cling to the walls of the cave.
Fish Soup is one of the most requested dive locations, located at a group of wave washed rocks called North West Rock. It is renowned for a variety of larger fish species such as Black Cod, Mangrove Jack’s, Jewfish, Spangled Emperor, Snapper, Red Morwong, Tarwhine just to name a few.
PIMPERNEL ROCK – Depth: 40 meters.
Features: Steep pinnacles and large tunnel.
Pimpernel Rock is one of the finest scuba diving locations along the entire New South Wales North Coast. The easiest way to dive the rock is through Wooli Dive Centre; we operate a very comfortable 12m cat.
Pimpernel is isolated, doesn’t break the surface and is some distance from solid earth. There is an enormous cavern, approximately 12m high and 15m wide, in the centre of the vast main structure some 40 meters from the surface. All mannner of sea life including sharks inhabit the giant shelter.
Sponge gardens decorate a reef spreading from the base of each of the three pinnacles. Large rocky bolders, small trenches and overhangs, flat areas and step overs host seafans, seawhips and anemones.
