The Valliant (Wreck) - Sydney & New South Wales

Port-Cros is a Mediterranean standout, and we'd argue it’s one of the best spots in France. The protected status really shows, with groupers that are practically pets – they'll swim right up to you, big curious eyes checking you out. It’s an easy dive typically, great for seeing what a healthy Mediterranean ecosystem looks like. Our favourite dive here is La Gabinière, a rock pinnacle that just screams "fish aggregation device." We’ve seen schools of barracuda here so dense they look like a shimmering wall, and the resident moray eels are always out and about. Dropping down, you feel the temperature dip slightly, and the sheer number of organisms clinging to the rock face, the way the light filters through the water around the pinnacle, it’s just superb. Keep an eye out for the yellow-legged gulls circling above; they’re a good indicator of where the action might be. The Posidonia meadows are extensive too, and it’s always worth a slow glide over them, looking for octopuses camouflaged on the blades or the flash of a cowfish. We’d suggest going in late spring or early autumn for the best mix of comfortable water temperatures and fewer boats.

Location

Sydney & New South Wales, Australia, Australasia

Coordinates

-33.572500, 151.340800

Type

reef

Marine Protected Area: Barrenjoey