Kirton Point is the deeper of Port Lincoln's shore dives. The Marine Life Society describes a deeper reef offering a colourful shore dive with often good visibility, in about 12 m, and lists sea cucumbers, crabs, sea stars, tubeworms and nudibranchs among its residents. The reef combines rocky outcrops and rubble with sponge and ascidian growth, and the jetty piles add structure.

Fan and feather-duster tubeworms extend from the rock, sea stars and sea cucumbers dot the bottom, and nudibranchs graze the sponges. Leatherjackets, magpie perch, wrasse, old wives and schools of yellowtail move over the reef, and cuttlefish and southern calamari are common. Compared with the town jetty, Kirton Point offers more depth and usually clearer water, making it the preferred shore dive for experienced visitors with a spare morning between boat trips.

It is also next to the Kirton Point Caravan Park and boat ramp, the launching point for Cape Donington and the Degei wreck. It suits Open Water divers and photographers. As with all Boston Bay sites, strong easterly or south-easterly winds reduce visibility, and fishing line is a hazard around the jetty.

Night dives here are rewarding: the tubeworms extend fully, cuttlefish and squid hunt over the reef, and octopus move between the rocks. Because it is close to town and to air fills, Kirton Point is a practical place to fit in a dive on a travel day or when offshore weather cancels a boat trip, and it gives a good introduction to the reef life of Boston Bay before heading out to Cape Donington or the islands.

Port Lincoln is about 650 km (7 hours) by road from Adelaide via Port Augusta and the Lincoln Highway, or a 45-50 minute flight (Rex/QantasLink). Kirton Point is on the eastern edge of Port Lincoln, a few minutes' drive from the city centre past the caravan park of the same name, which also has a boat ramp used to launch for Cape Donington. Park near the jetty; enter via the jetty steps or the shore beside it and swim out to the deeper reef.

Boston Bay and the waters around Port Lincoln are sheltered from Southern Ocean swell by Boston Island and the Lincoln National Park coast, so the town jetties can be dived in most weather; strong south-easterly and easterly winds are what chop them up. The islands of Thorny Passage and the lower Eyre coast are progressively more exposed to south-westerly swell and strong tidal streams, and need swell under about 1.5-2 m and light winds. Winter (May-August) brings frequent cold fronts with big south-westerly swell but also calm, clear spells; summer has more reliable weather but regular afternoon south-easterly sea breezes.

Water is cooler than the gulfs, around 13-15°C in winter and 17-20°C in summer.

Enter at the jetty, swim out to the reef and follow its edge down to 10-12 m, then work back up along the reef and piles to the entry.

Used by Port Lincoln locals and dive shop customers; no charter required.