Bushrangers Bay - Sydney & New South Wales
Bushrangers Bay is one of those spots we always point people towards when they ask about easy Sydney diving. Yeah, the visibility can drop, averaging around 7m, but it’s a marine protected area, and that makes a real difference. We love it because you’re almost guaranteed to spot grey nurse sharks, particularly during the summer months when they gather here. They cruise along the bottom, sometimes just hanging out in the sand channels, completely unbothered. The entry is a timber staircase down to a rocky beach, so sturdy boots are a smart move. Once you’re in, it’s a gentle swim out, never deeper than 14m. Look for stingrays gliding over the sand in the shallows, and we’ve often found Port Jackson sharks tucked into crevices a bit deeper. You’ll see plenty of bream, scissortail sergeants zipping about, and we’ve even come across oriental flying gurnards fanning their incredible fins. It’s an ideal spot for a relaxed dive, good for newer divers or anyone who just wants to spend time watching sharks without a big effort.
- Location
- Sydney & New South Wales, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -34.597400, 150.899800
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Bushrangers Bay
Nearby Dive Sites in Sydney & New South Wales
- 3 mile Bommie (cave)
- 3 mile Bommie (reef)
- 3rd Gutter (reef)
- 3rd Gutter
- 4th-5th Reefs - 5-20m (reef)
- 7th and 8th Reefs (reef)
- Acheron Ledge (reef)
- Adelaide (Wreck) (wreck)
- Adelaide (Wreck) (wreck)
- Adreno (diving gear)
- Avoca (drift)
- Avoca
- Bait Reef (reef)
- Balmoral Baths
- Bare Island East (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Bushrangers Bay
- Abyss Scuba Diving - ["PADI"]
- Aquatic Explorers
- CENTRAL COAST DIVERS - SSI
- Deep Sensations Pty Ltd
- Dive Centre Bondi - ["PADI"]
- Dive Centre Manly - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Sydney & New South Wales
Home to 202 recorded species including 129 reef fish, 41 sharks & rays, 9 whales & dolphins, 5 other, 4 crabs & lobsters, 3 octopus & squid.
Notable Species
- Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) - Sharks & Rays
- Spotted wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Bream (Acanthopagrus australis) - Reef Fish
- Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) - Sharks & Rays
- Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) - Sharks & Rays
- California Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) - Reef Fish
- chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) - Octopus & Squid
- Banjo Shark (Trygonorrhina fasciata) - Sharks & Rays
- blubber jellyfish (Catostylus mosaicus) - Jellyfish
- dory (Zeus faber) - Reef Fish
- Australian Fur Seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Snapper (Pagrus auratus) - Reef Fish
- Silver Bream (Rhabdosargus sarba) - Reef Fish
- Bluefin Gurnard (Chelidonichthys kumu) - Reef Fish
- Chubby Basketfish (Anoplocapros inermis) - Reef Fish
- Banks Shovelnose Ray (Aptychotrema rostrata) - Sharks & Rays
- Bellowfish (Macroramphosus scolopax) - Reef Fish
- gray mangrove (Avicennia marina) - Seagrass & Algae
- Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) - Reef Fish
- Common Silver Belly (Gerres subfasciatus) - Reef Fish