Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Seal Rocks – Little Rock
Forster & Seal Rocks, New South Wales · near Seal Rocks
| Depth | 8–20 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from charter boat onto a mooring |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 15-30 m |
| Water | summer 22-25 °C, winter 17-20 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter |
| Best season | Year-round |
| Bottom time | 35 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Grey nurse shark habitat nearby — Code of Conduct applies if sharks are present |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Seal Rocks – Little Rock
Also known as Little Rock
A minor named formation within the broader Seal Rocks reef system, offering variety alongside the main island dives.
Near Seal Rocks · Forster & Seal Rocks, New South Wales
- Depth
- 8–20 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~16 min
- Water
- 22-25 °C
- Visibility
- 15-30 m
Seal Rocks – Little Rock8–20 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 8–20 m
- Typical depth
- 15 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 1.2 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~16 min
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 15-30 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 22-25 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 17-20 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 35 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter
Location
Seal Rocks · NSW Mid North Coast — Forster/Tuncurry & Seal Rocks
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Seal Rocks.
Primary source: diveforster.com.auMarine park & permits
Grey nurse shark habitat nearby — Code of Conduct applies if sharks are present
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Seal Rocks – Little Rock →
A day-by-day plan for Forster & Seal Rocks with this site locked in.
This guide is a planning aid. Conditions change daily — confirm with a local dive centre and dive within your training. Data & safety notes.
Dive profile
How this site rates
Scores are computed from the recorded data, not opinions. How?
At a glance
Seal Rocks – Little Rock is a reef boat dive in Forster & Seal Rocks, NSW, 8–20 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, moderate current, about 16 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m.
Why dive here
- A minor named formation within the broader Seal Rocks reef system, offering variety alongside the main island dives.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 15-30 m.
About Seal Rocks – Little Rock
Little Rock is one of the minor named formations within the broader Seal Rocks reef system, appearing in local dive centre listings alongside the much better documented Big Seal Rock, Little Seal Rock and Statis Rock. As with several of the area's smaller features, detailed independent description of its exact topography and marine life beyond its name and general location is limited, suggesting it functions as a variation site used by Forster Dive Centre to spread diver traffic or add variety for repeat visitors rather than a site with its own dedicated marketing. Its position within the general Seal Rocks reef complex means it likely shares much of the same underlying character — rock and gutter structure supporting temperate reef fish and invertebrates, with grey nurse sharks a genuine possibility given their movement throughout the broader area.
This kind of lightly documented, locally known formation is typical of the Seal Rocks area, which operators describe as containing hundreds if not thousands of individual reef patches beyond the handful of named, heavily dived sites. Visiting divers with a specific interest in Little Rock, or planning a longer Seal Rocks stay wanting to see beyond the main attractions, should ask Forster Dive Centre directly for current, first-hand detail on what the site currently offers and how it compares with its better-known neighbours, since confidence in the specific figures given here is necessarily lower than for the primary Seal Rocks dives. As with the area's other minor formations, on-the-day local knowledge from the boat crew will be far more useful than any general description.
Getting there & entry
A minor rock formation near Seal Rocks, part of the broader reef system around Big and Little Seal Rock.
Boats for the Seal Rocks sites either run the longer distance down from Forster/Tuncurry (about 45-60 minutes) or launch locally from the small boat ramp at Seal Rocks village itself near Sugarloaf Point, cutting the run to Big and Little Seal Rock down to 10-20 minutes.
Entry: Giant stride from charter boat onto a mooring
Weather, swell & tides
Seal Rocks sits on an exposed headland — trips are cancelled beyond about 1.5 m swell. Visibility is typically 15-30 m in settled weather.
Best season: Year-round
How the dive is usually run
Descend onto the formation and work its structure at 8-20 m, watching for general Seal Rocks reef fauna and the possibility of grey nurse sharks moving between the main aggregation sites nearby.
Marine life
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 15 m); the full site to 20 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water.
Operators' own listing: Open Water.
Depth tiers: 0–10 m easy · to 18 m Open Water · 18–30 m Advanced (25 m+ is a deep dive) · 30–40 m Deep specialty · 40 m+ technical. All courses
Hazards & warnings
Moderate current typical of the exposed Seal Rocks headland; standard boat-diving precautions.
Dive centres that go here
Forster Dive Centre (Tuncurry)
Operators recorded for Seal Rocks – Little Rock
General area
No position has been published for Seal Rocks – Little Rock. The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Seal Rocks. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 4 km), from other documented sites near Seal Rocks. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Seal Rocks – Little Rock: frequently asked questions
How deep is Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
Seal Rocks – Little Rock reaches a maximum depth of 20 m, with the shallowest part at about 8 m; most of the dive is spent around 15 m.
What certification do I need to dive Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 15 m); the full site to 20 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water. Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m.
Can I shore dive Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
No, it is reached by boat (about 16 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
Year-round.
What marine life will I see at Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
Regularly recorded: General Seal Rocks reef fish and invertebrates, grey nurse sharks (possible).
What wetsuit do I need at Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter.
How cold is the water at Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
Typically 22-25 °C in summer and 17-20 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
Moderate current typical of the exposed Seal Rocks headland; standard boat-diving precautions. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Seal Rocks – Little Rock?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Forster & Seal Rocks
Forster is one of the best places in the world to dive with grey nurse sharks. The Pinnacles, Latitude Rock and the Big Seal at Seal Rocks hold aggregations of 20–60 sharks in season, and Seal Rocks' gutters are within a few hundred metres of a beach launch. The SS Satara, a 1910 steamer in 44 m, and the Pinnacle's own wrecks add deep options.
Getting there: Three and a half hours north of Sydney. Forster charters run the Pinnacles and Latitude Rock; Seal Rocks is a beach launch or a longer boat trip. Shore dives at Forster's Bennetts Head and the Tuncurry breakwall.
All Forster & Seal Rocks dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Appears only as a name in a site listing without further detail; recommend verifying with Forster Dive Centre directly.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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