Sites that work for snorkellers as well as divers: shallow reefs, lagoons, piers and sheltered bays where a non-diving companion can join in. Many are also the best first dives.
58 sites · the first 48 shown as cards, the rest listed by state below
Hobart & Derwent · TAS
Tasmania's most accessible marine reserve: a no-take shore dive 30 minutes from Hobart with seahorses, seadragons and…
Two easy shore dives in one suburban bay – crevice-rich reef at the blowhole and a giant kelp patch at the south point.
Tasman Peninsula · TAS
Easy shore and night dive at the departure jetty with a good chance of weedy seadragons.
Easy shore access to one of the last giant kelp forests on the Tasman Peninsula, with camping on the beach.
One of the few giant kelp forests within reach of Hobart, with seahorses in easy depths.
Bruny Island & D'Entrecasteaux Channel · TAS
Historic bay (Cook, Bligh) with sheltered shore dives and boat access to Fluted Cape, Penguin Island and Cape Connella.
Tasmania North-East · TAS
Tasmania's largest accessible fur seal colony, in shallow water off Lulworth.
A skull-shaped granite rock with swim-throughs and big banded morwong in a sheltered Bay of Fires cove.
Tasmania East Coast · TAS
Easy shallow ledges under a cormorant roost.
Tasmania North & North-West · TAS
Easy, varied shore dives either side of the point at one of Tasmania's prettiest beaches.
A quiet family snorkel on granite rocks with views to Freycinet's Hazards.
Easy, sheltered shore dive from a pebbly beach at the head of Wedge Bay.
An urban shore dive under the Burnie wharf, with change rooms at the beach.
Fissures, a 50 m cave and good fish habitat on the Great Oyster Bay coast.
Huon & Far South · TAS
Small, dense kelp garden at the Huon mouth for a quiet shallow snorkel.
A small island with a sheltered lee-side kelp garden and a more exposed seaward reef.
The easiest snorkel on Maria Island, straight off the ferry, with cuttlefish and squid at dusk.
A shallow breakwater snorkel with a kelp forest and remains of two 1880s wrecks.
An easy long shore dive along volcanic reefs beside the historic Don River port.
A sheltered, very shallow kelp cove - the easy option at remote Eddystone Point.
Shallow seaweed gardens beside the relics of the Catamaran coal mines, with possible remains of the whaler Offley.
A split granite spire a short swim from the breakwater, with seahorses and seadragons in the surrounding weed and…
Kelp-garden shore dive beside the ruins of an 1830s whaling station at the end of Australia's southernmost road.
A quiet kelp-garden snorkel below the cliffs south of Lucas Point, close to Tinderbox.
A sheltered bay with cliffs and small caves - but only with landowner permission.
An easy, sheltered limestone reef next to Darlington, with two contrasting ends.
Very sheltered shallow kelp snorkel in the historic Port Arthur settlement cove.
A sheltered, clear-water weed garden - the easy second dive at Schouten Island.
Secluded beginner beach where large smooth stingrays glide over the sand.
The easiest snorkel in Bicheno, right beside the car park and next to the marine reserve.
An easy cove with picnic facilities near Binalong Bay.
An easy, sheltered boulder reef right beside Coles Bay township.
Sheltered kelp-bed shore dive near Southport – the calm-day fallback for the far south.
Tasmania Freshwater & Caves · TAS
Clear freshwater diving at Australia's deepest lake, with freshwater crayfish in the shallows.
A shallow fringing reef that stays diveable in easterly weather.
An easy holiday shore dive to a small island reef between Scamander and St Helens.
Devonport's easy shore dive below the Mersey Bluff lighthouse - ideal before or after the Spirit of Tasmania.
One of the remnant giant kelp areas on the Tasman Peninsula and a focus of kelp restoration; seals often play in the…
A gentle snorkel beneath Maria Island's iron-stained sandstone cliffs, inside the marine reserve.
Sheltered island dive with a tall giant kelp forest on the channel side (condition variable).
A sheltered sandstone island reef with surprisingly abundant fish - the fallback in north-easterly weather.
Shallow snorkel reef beneath a honeycombed sandstone bluff, with rays and flathead.
Remote sheltered anchorage with seaweed beds, conger eels and resting sharks – a relaxing second dive.
Easy kelp-garden snorkel over the anchors and iron ribs of the 1909 barque Natal Queen.
An easy, sheltered course site with a fish-packed rock and superb night diving.
Easy shallow reef snorkel with seahorses beside the car park at Safety Cove.
A quiet granite cove on Freycinet's ocean side with a cavern-undercut bommie, reached by a short steep track.
Low-key mudstone reef on Frederick Henry Bay's northern shore for local shore divers.
Other ways to find a dive