The waters around Australia are some of the most beautiful and are full of incredible animals that swim, dive and splash in the sea. While you’re down under make sure you look out for the below water animals:
Dolphins and whales
When visiting Australia a great warm-blooded marine animal to encounter is a dolphin or whale. There are around 45 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Australian waters. Often these mammals travel during winter from the icy cold waters of the Antarctic to Australia’s warmer waters. The most common species in the waters is the Bottlenose dolphin and Humpback whale.
These beautiful animals are protected under Australian law. If you want to get up close and personal many of the coastal towns offer whale-watching charters that cruise out daily.
Penguins
Just like the dolphin and whale these flightless birds quickly dive through the crystal clear waters of Australia through to Antarctica in numerous numbers looking for food. Twice a day Antartic penguins visit their chicks that are on the islands surrounding Australia. They love this area of water, as there is a plentitude of fish species to eat. Sea lions are the main predator for these small penguins. While they are protected in large numbers, the sea lion searches for one struggling behind for its lunch.
Giant cuttlefish
Male cuttlefish can grow over a metre long and they are an incredible sight, as they use flashing colours to scare away predators. Females search for the largest male to breed with, as he has the best egg chamber. In this underwater wonderland the fight for territory between water animals is evident. Unlike the water animals mentioned above the cuttlefish hunts on their own, on the seabed floor. One of their favourite foods is large crabs that scuttle through the coral and sea plants.
Australian Fur Seal
The Australian Fur Seal is the largest fur seal in the world. It swims through the tranquil waters surrounding the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. While they were hunted during the beginning of the 20th century they are now a protected species under Australian law. Adult males are heavy weighing up to a huge 360kg! Their diet manly consists of fish species, squid and octopus.
Turtles
Now that we’ve covered some of the most amazing mammals and fish species in the waters of Australia, it’s time to focus on a sea swimming reptile – the turtle. A commonly spotted Australian turtle is the snake-necked turtle, as the name suggests the 25cm average neck looks like as snake. The shell is dark brown on the top and light cream/yellow colour underneath. They are most commonly found in eastern Australia in riverbeds, creeks and billabongs. Their favourite snacks include fish, frogs and tadpoles.
Australia is a hot-spot destination for underwater animal watching. Enjoy the beauty of the sandy beaches and crystal clear waters and we hope you spot one of the incredible sea mammals, fish species or water living reptiles!
Alex loves visiting new places, meeting new people and learning new languages. He also happens to be fortunate enough to work with one of the most beautiful locations in the world amongst the Whitsunday Islands, Hayman.
