Nelson Bay Shore Dives
There is little doubt in my mind that the shore dives of Nelson Bay are certainly the best of the Central Coast and probably NSW. Whilst the Skillion Cave shore dive at Terrigal is also quite unique in that you can hop off a rock platform and find yourself in ~20m of water, surrounded by the type of reef and life you would expect at that depth, the biodiversity of the Nelson Bay dives is very special. Fueled by nutrient rich water flowing out of Port Stephens twice daily, the reefs are covered by sponges, ascidians and soft corals that attract an unbelievable amount of macro life and fish life.
I owe much of my knowledge of the sties and critters of this area to David Harasti. If you are looking for dramatic fish life, Fly Point is the pick of the sites. The same would have previously been said for Halifax Park before sand and urchins destroyed the site. For macro life, The Pipeline, Little Beach or The Seahorse Garden is the way to do.
