All aboard adventure seekers! Coffs Harbour’s coastline is the gateway to a water wonderland with just as much to see under the sea as up on dry land.
The third largest marine-protected area in New South Wales, Solitary Islands Marine Park extends along 75km of coastline from Coffs Harbour to Sandon River. More than just a beautiful body of water, this park is the rare rendezvous point where the warm waters of the East Australian Current from the north mix with cooler southern currents. As a result, it is home to a diverse underwater seascape where both tropical and temperate marine life thrive in harmony.
Just four years after it was established as a Marine Reserve in 1992, Mike and Debbie Davey took over Jetty Dive Centre and have since transformed their business into a local institution - and a favourite among water-loving visitors from around the world.
Since then, the pair have witnessed the extraordinary boom in the population of the Marine Park.
“Sanctuary zones have been established here for more than 25 years, so now there's lots of fish and plenty of whales around. We’ve got ‘Nemos’ and ‘Dorys’ with grey nurse sharks swimming over them. I’d say we’ve got more Dorys than the Great Barrier Reef, and one of the dive sites out at North Solitary is called Anemone Bay with the probably the highest population of Nemo clownfish in the Southern Hemisphere,” Mike says.
Today, it’s a sanctuary for more than 530 species of reef fish. Along with the grey nurse sharks - affectionately known as the “labradors of the ocean” - there are giant cuttlefish, big blue gropers, plus various types of turtles. Then there are the famous migrating humpback whales who make their pilgrimage up and down the Coffs Coast every year.
These gentle giants of the ocean are a major drawcard for visitors who can get (almost) up close and personal with them between June and October every year.
“Now there are something like 40,000 whales coming up and down the coast, but when we first started whale watching trips in 2001 there would’ve been only about 2000. You were lucky if you could see them at all,” says Mike, who now has a whale watching guarantee promising visitors another trip out if none are spotted on a tour.
“Thanks to the ongoing protection of them, there are so many now I don’t think we’ve ever needed to honour that offer.”
Mike and his team take whale watching tours out three times daily - weather permitting - and for a more immersive experience Jetty Dive also holds unique whale swimming tours from August to late September.
“Anyone can do the whale swimming, as long as you can snorkel. We don’t swim too close to them, but they’re pretty curious animals so sometimes they come up to us. That’s what we call ‘mugging’ - when the whales get close to say hello. It's really up to the whale whether it wants to approach us.”
When the whales aren’t in town, Mike says the warmer months are ideal for dolphin spotting, snorkelling and scuba diving. The best kept secret about diving in the Coffs Harbour region is the lower numbers of visitors, compared with the more famous dive sites further north. This means learners can easily obtain their PADI certification and seasoned divers can enjoy the scenery without the crowds.
More than just a stunning tourist site, Solitary Islands Marine Park is part of the Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl Nations, whose communities have strong cultural links with ocean and are actively involved in conservation planning. Jetty Dive Centre’s crew are just as passionate about protecting the pristine environment on Coffs Harbour’s doorstep and have become an Advanced Ecotourism Certified operator.
“We love sharing this place with visitors, we’re just so lucky to have this diversity of marine life right here in Coffs. It’s a pretty special environment.”
Distance from Coffs Harbour CBD: 3kms
Distance from the airport: 5.7kms
Photos © Destination NSW
