Port Stephens is well known for its huge variety of marine life.
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Marine animals such as whales, seals, dolphins, turtles and many types of fish call the marine park home.
It's this marine life that makes the area a very popular destination for snorkelers to visit and enjoy and the protection provided by the marine park is to the benefit of these species.
Over the summer period, the water is generally warm (+20 degrees) which makes it quite pleasant to go snorkeling and swimming in the Port Stephens area.
There are several areas that are safe for snorkeling within the Marine Park with some information below on the best places to snorkel.
Fly Point
Fly Point is home to some of the most extensive sponge gardens along the east coast of Australia which attracts a wide variety of marine fish and invertebrates.
Fly Point's long term protection as a marine sanctuary zone (protected from fishing since 1983) has allowed these fish and sea creatures to thrive and it's the safest and most ideal location for snorkeling in Port Stephens.
Strong tidal currents pass through the Fly Point sanctuary zone, which ensures excellent water quality within the area.
The best time to scuba dive and snorkel is at the top of the high tide.
It's essential to scuba dive on the high tide as currents are not as strong and the water is clearer. It can also be dived on the low slack tide but the visibility is not as good.
As you walk in the water at Fly Point you will be surrounded by huge numbers of bream, tarwhine and luderick. A
t high tide, the shallow inter-tidal zone comes alive with large diversity of fish species swimming over the kelp beds and seagrass meadows. Some very unusual marine species including seahorses, nudibranchs (commonly known as sea slugs), moray eels, and even endangered green sea turtles live here.
Over summer, when the water is warm you can often find juvenile tropical fish species such as butterflyfish, damselfish and even lionfish in the sanctuary.
Occasionally these juvenile fish species will become permanent residents if they manage to cope with the cold winter water when it arrives.
Halifax Park
Similar to Fly Point, it is important to snorkel at this site around the top of the high tide.
One of the most popular areas for snorkeling is in the shallows heading from the dirt carpark around towards Little Beach. In the shallows you will often see blue gropers and the pretty coloured crimson banded wrasse whilst if you look in amongst the rocky crevices you might be fortunate enough to see a wobbegong shark.
Use caution when snorkeling in the Halifax Park sanctuary as many boats pass through the area.
Shoal Bay
Shoal Bay is home to some of the most extensive seagrass meadows in the marine park.
Snorkeling over seagrass can actually be very interesting as there are many species that call the seagrass home.
It's a great place to find cuttlefish, seahorses and pipefish and over summer there are often large flathead hiding amongst the seagrass waiting patiently for passing fish to prey on.
The best area for snorkeling in Shoal Bay is as the eastern end at the base of the Tomaree Headland.
Boat Harbour and Fisherman's Bay
Both of these sites are found on the ocean side of Port Stephens (near Anna Bay) and provide a very different snorkeling opportunity to what you would normally see inside the Port Stephens estuary.
The bottom terrain is made up of rocky and kelp covered reef and is a great place to see a variety of fish species such as wrasses, bream and morwongs. If you are fortunate you may even come across a sea turtle or the protected black cod.
Don't forget that you are snorkeling within a marine park so the taking and harming of marine life is restricted so please ensure you respect and look after the marine environment.
Dr David Harasti is a senior marine scientist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, based at Taylors Beach.
Read more in the Beneath the Surface series
To showcase the Port's incredible underwater world the Examiner has collaborated with regular Nelson Bay divers and photographers on a series that explores life Beneath the Surface.
