Emu Bay is a sweeping white-sand bay on Kangaroo Island's north coast, and its small jetty offers quiet, sheltered, shallow diving. Wikivoyage lists Emu Bay among the island's dive sites, and a dive-site summary describes a sandy and seagrass environment with encrusting growth on the pylons supporting a characteristic South Australian jetty ecosystem, 1-7 m deep and deepening gradually from shore.

Marine life reported includes weedy seadragons seen regularly, giant cuttlefish, cowfish, rays, pipefish, and sponges and ascidians on the pylons. Blue-ringed octopus occur, as they do around most SA jetties. The seagrass meadows around the jetty are nurseries for juvenile fish, and patient divers will find crabs, hermit crabs and small cephalopods. Visibility is often good, 8-12 m in settled conditions, thanks to the white sand.

Emu Bay is also notable ashore: the cliffs at the eastern end hold the Emu Bay Shale, one of the world's important Cambrian fossil sites, which is protected. The jetty itself is a low-key alternative to Kingscote, with fewer people and no ferry traffic, and a good option when strong southerlies make the south coast unsafe. There are no dive services at Emu Bay, so fill cylinders in Kingscote. It suits beginners, snorkellers and macro photographers. Nearby Emu Bay beach is also one of the few KI beaches where cars may drive on the sand, which brings visitors in summer. Divers combining north-coast sites can pair Emu Bay with King George Beach or Stokes Bay in a single day. The jetty is modest in length, so a slow circuit of both sides and the surrounding seagrass makes a full dive.

From Kingscote drive north-west on the Playford Highway and Emu Bay Road to the Emu Bay settlement (about 20 minutes, sealed). The jetty and boat ramp are at the western end of the long white beach; park on the road verge/car park near the jetty, gear up and walk in from the beach or use the jetty steps. Keep clear of the boat ramp.

Kangaroo Island's north coast faces Investigator Strait and is sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly Southern Ocean swell, so it is the island's most reliable diving coast. It is exposed to northerly and north-westerly winds and swell, which bring surge, poor visibility and dangerous entries – dive on southerly to south-easterly winds or after a few days of southerlies. Summer and autumn have the most settled weather; winter fronts bring north-westerlies before they pass.

Visibility is often 10-20 m in good conditions. Mornings are calmer before sea breezes. Emu Bay is well sheltered from southerly weather and only vulnerable to the less common northerlies.

Enter from the beach or steps, follow the pylons out over sand and seagrass to the end at 5-7 m looking for weedy seadragons, cuttlefish and pipefish, and return along the other side.

No regular operator; Kangaroo Island Dive & Adventures (Kingscote) – guided north-coast boat and shore dives (confirm current trading) for fills and advice.