Underwater in Woollahra

What marine life can you spot while swimming or snorkelling locally?

Our local swimming beaches, pool enclosures and rocky reefs provide habitat for a diverse range of marine creatures including fishes, sponges, molluscs, crabs, seahorses, octopus, squid and cuttlefish. Camp Cove, Green Point and Watsons Bay Baths have some of the greatest diversity of marine life in our area.

We recently surveyed some key locations in our area and found that Watsons Bay Baths has the most diverse marine life of all our netted swimming areas. The reefs near Camp Cove beach also have very good diversity.

Images of Watsons Bay marine life: Sydney cardinalfish, Yellow-tail scad, Hairy red hermit crab, Eastern hulafish, Black-spotted goatfish, Triton shell, Crimson-banded wrasse, Long spine sea urchin, White's seahorse. Credit: John Turnbull.

5 fish to look out for at Watsons Bay Baths

If you swim or snorkel regularly near the net and wharf structures at the baths you’ll become familiar with the different habitat zones and the creatures they attract and support. Keep an eye out for these fish:

• Yellow-tail scad
• Eastern hulafish
• Sydney cardinalfish
• Black-spotted goatfish
• Crimson-banded wrasse

Other marine life you may spot at Watsons Bay Baths

Some of the other species noted here include Triton shells, Long spine and Short spine sea urchins, White’s seahorse, Granular seastar and the Hairy red hermit crab.

Images of Camp Cove marine life: Blue-lined goatfish, One-spot puller, Gloomy octopus, Striped catfish, Eastern blue groper (juevenile), Yellow fin bream, Mourning cuttlefish, Green moray eel, Granular seastar. Credit: John Turnbull.

5 fish to look out for at Camp Cove and nearby reefs

Many of the fish found at Watsons Bay can also be spotted at Camp Cove and Green Point but you may also see:

• Striped catfish
• Blue-lined goatfish
• Yellow fin bream
• One-spot puller
• Eastern blue groper

Other marine life you may spot at Camp Cove

Some of the different species noted at this site include the Gloomy octopus, Green moray eel, Mourning cuttlefish, Reaper cuttlefish and the Tent turban shell.

What are we doing to protect our local marine life?

• Monitoring threatened marine species populations.
• Cleaning our streets, parks and beaches.
• Installing devices such as litter traps to improve water quality.
• Ensuring the nets in our swimming area are maintained to protect important habitat.
• Supporting corporate groups to clean up litter at local beaches through our HarbourCare program.
• Hosting rockpool and snorkelling events to educate the community.
• Sharing the work of local marine biodiversity and restoration initiatives such as Marine Biodiversity of Southern Sydney Harbour and Project Restore.

What can you do to protect marine life?

• Avoid standing on or damaging habitat areas including seagrass while snorkelling or swimming.
• Leave shells in the water.
• Remove litter from beaches and put your rubbish in the bins.
• Report water pollution events.
• Safely dispose of your household chemicals, don’t put them down the drain.
• Don’t anchor boats over seagrass meadows.

More information

• See more wonderful underwater photos from John Turnbull
• Learn about water quality in our Harbour
• Check out our latest environmental events

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