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The best wildlife experiences in Jervis Bay for nature enthusiasts

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
The NSW South Coast hotspot is brimming with wildlife.

Jervis Bay is home to a diverse range of animals that will delight any nature enthusiast and spotting its playful residents is one of the most enjoyable things to do in the region. From swimming with whales and seals, to spotting dolphins and fairy penguins or snorkelling with turtles, here are eight of the best Jervis Bay wildlife encounters to be had on the NSW South Coast.

See dolphins on a scenic cruise

dolphins at Jervis Bay
Watch bottlenose dolphins splash and play on a scenic cruise. (Image: Dolphin Watch Cruises Jervis Bay)

Dolphin Watch Cruises was one of the first to offer dolphin and whale watching tours in Australia. It has also been taking visitors on tours to see Jervis Bay wildlife for more than three decades. There’s a high probability you will see the resident bottlenose dolphins surfing the waves created by the boat carving through the seas. And, with the aid of binoculars, you might even be able to spot a whale (between May and November) or sea eagles soaring overhead. It’s one of the best things to do in Jervis Bay.

Swim with whales (and then drink wine)

whale breaching at Point Perpendicular, Jervis Bay
See Jervis Bay’s most majestic creatures. (Image: Jervis Bay Wild)

Did someone say wine and whales? Genius. The Shoalhaven City Council’s Wine & Whales campaign suggests: a whale-watching cruise with Jervis Bay Wild or Dolphin Watch, a Swim with the Whales experience with Dive Jervis Bay and a visit to nearby vineyards such as Cupitt’s Estate and Centennial Vineyards. Top off your wine-soaked whale-watching weekender with a unique stay in Jervis Bay.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

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Swim with seals

the Woebegone Dive cruise in Jervis Bay
Woebegone Dive has a license to swim with both seals and whales in NSW waters. (Image: Supplied)

Cruise onboard Seascape with Woebegone Free Dive from Woollamia Boat Ramp to snorkel or free-dive with a colony of New Zealand and Australian fur seals. Woebegone is one of only a few operators with a license to swim with both seals and whales in NSW waters. And you can jump in the big blue and do just that during the migration season. Kudos to the eco-minded operator, which partners with Sea Shepherd, for organising monthly beach clean-ups, too.

Spot kangaroos at The Woods Farm

The Woods Farm of Jervis Bay from above
Commune with nature at The Woods Farm.

The emphasis around Jervis Bay is justifiably on its turquoise seas. But there’s also a chance to lose yourself in the surrounding forest and farmland. Families who stay at The Woods Farm of Jervis Bay are encouraged to feed the farm animals, which include a menagerie of cows, horses, and sheep. Give the tree-change a trial run by staying in a cute-as cottage or bell tent, collecting eggs for breakfast and watching Jervis Bay wildlife such as kangaroos hop by on cue.

Spot stingrays on the Husky Ferry

sunset over Currambene Creek Huskisson in Jervis Bay
Hop onboard the sunset cruise at Currambene Creek. (Image: Above Down Under by Kramer Photography)

Take a sunset cruise on Husky Ferry through the Jervis Bay Marine Reserve and it’s highly likely you’ll spy stingrays flying through the cerulean seas. The sunset cruise, which operates out of Huskisson and Myola, is touted by locals as one of the most underrated ways to see the area. Hop onboard the ferry as it makes its way up Currambene Creek in winter to see baby stingrays swimming with their mothers. It’s one of the best ways to encounter Jervis Bay wildlife.

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Look for pelicans at Pelican Shores Cafe

Find a perch to sit and look out over St George’s Basin from Pelican Shores Cafe and you are bound to see the large water birds patrolling the shore in search of fish. Watch the pelicans wade into the water yawning open their bills to catch scraps of fish thrown their way by the local fisher folk. This form of feeding does not work at the cafe; form an orderly queue to arrange that seafood plate for two.

Find Fairy Penguins at Murrays Beach

an aerial view of Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay
Stroll down Murrays Beach to see several seabird species. (Image: Destination NSW)

From above, Jervis Bay Marine Park resembles a pretty turquoise necklace, with the sand stretching around the protected seas in a series of perfect crescents. One of the things that makes Jervis Bay so special is the fact it’s teeming with marine life. Secure front-row seats with Jervis Bay Wild to see nesting colonies of several different seabird species, such as the fairy penguin and sooty oystercatcher.

Head out on a kayak

friends kayaking in Jervis Bay
Go kayaking along the turquoise waters of Jervis Bay. (Image: Dee Kramer)

Jervis Bay Marine Park is a haven for marine life. Wait for a day when the skies are stretched tight like a blue tarpaulin before hiring a kayak from Jervis Bay Kayaks .  Follow the birds skimming the surface of the water and head outside the marine park where you can appreciate the crystal-clear waterways and beaches. Catch glimpses of fish gliding beneath the water. You can fish here, too – just don’t forget to consult the zoning map for recreational fishing in Jervis Bay Marine Park before doing so.

Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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8 ways to discover a new side of Port Stephens

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

    You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

    All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

    1. Stockton Sand Dunes

    Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

    Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

    Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape.
    Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

    2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

    A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

    History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

    Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens.
    Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

    3. Watch out for whales

    You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

    And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

    A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface.
    Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

    4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

    Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary  to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

    Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

    Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile
    See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

    5. Diving Port Stephens

    Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

    Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

    At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

    A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure.
    Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

    6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

    Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

    Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

    Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay.
    Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

    7. Fish the estuaries

    Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

    If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

    three men fishing on a boat in port stephens
    Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

    8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

    With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

    Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

    Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

    A plate of fresh oysters.
    Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .