POTATO POINT 

Ability required - experienced

How to get there – From Potato Point Road take the turn to the boat ramp and park beside the road

Conditions – Potato Point is fairly exposed and is not good for snorkeling if the swell is more than a metre or if the wind is coming from the north or north-east. The easiest entry is from the boat ramp though snorkelers need to be aware of the rip current there. This is fine for helping you get away from the beach, but it can make it difficult if not impossible to exit the water close to the boat ramp. The best exit is to swim parallel to the beach for 20 or 30 metres, at which point the snorkeler can return to the beach through the surf. Snorkelers also need to be aware of the small amount of boat traffic in the area. This is best dealt with by keeping close to the rocks near the boat ramp and keeping a careful watch.

What’s there - With rocky reef bommies interspersed with sandy gutters, Potato Point can be an exciting place to snorkel. A variety of habitats, including kelp forests, turfing algae, urchin barrens, sandy bottoms and cunjevoi, support an interesting range of marine life. Reef fish may be found in abundance, including rock cale, herring cale, kelp fish, blue groper and other wrasses, white ears, mado, silver sweep, leatherjackets, moray eels and luderick. Over the sand flats will be seen long finned pike, yellowtail, bream and toadfish. It is not uncommon to see large stingrays, eagle rays, fiddler rays and smaller stingarees. From time to time the snorkeler might even see schools of salmon or kingfish, as well as Port Jackson sharks or wobbegongs. In shallower water there are many juvenile fish and the occasional octopus, cuttlefish or squid.

Facilities - There is a toilet in the reserve between the creek and Riverview Drive, and a cold shower available at the boat ramp.

NAROOMA BAR BEACH  

This is an ideal place for family snorkeling,
but also has much to offer the serious snorkeler.

Ability required:
Within the net -  novice  
Outside the net - intermediate

How to get there – On the northern side of Wagonga Inlet, follow Centenary Drive to the large parking area near the boat ramp.

Conditions – Bar Beach is well sheltered and so is a reliable place in almost any weather. The water is calm and is usually very clear. The site comprises a sandy beach bordered on  one side by an artificial rock wall and with a net extending from the wall in an arc back to the beach.

Access from the beach is very easy. Exit from the water is at the same point. Snorkelers should be aware of the tidal current, though this is not a problem inshore. Snorkelers should also be careful around the net and, because of the danger of entanglement, NEVER duck dive under it.

What’s there – Within the net - Because of the strong tidal current than pushes in and out of the inlet twice a day, there is a good variety of fish and other marine creatures. Juvenile luderick feed from the net while chinaman leatherjackets look on. Swimming over the sand will be bream, mullet and whiting. Along the rock wall snorkelers will see a good range of reef fish, often juveniles, including blue groper and other wrasses, mado, sweep, white ears, red morwong. Further along the wall the water becomes deeper and snorkelers are likely to see drummer, long-finned pike and leatherjackets. Snorkelers are sometimes surprised to see octopus, sea hares and even the occasional sea horse.

Outside the net - Experienced snorkelers can explore the rock wall at the upstream end of the beach where a good range of fish may also be found.  Keep out of the current in the channel, watch for boat traffic and keep close to the shore.

Facilities - There is a toilet block near the boat ramp and an outdoor shower near the access point to the beach.

MONTAGUE ISLAND

The highlight of snorkeling at Montague Island is to be in the water with the resident fur seals. This is a thrilling wildlife encounter on a par with anything that may be found elsewhere in the world.

Ability required - experienced

How to get there - Obviously it requires a boat trip to visit the island. Several Narooma charter operators cater for snorkeling trips to the island, and will provide detailed briefings and instructions to ensure that snorkelers have a safe and enjoyable time.  A snorkeling trip will usually involve being in the water at several different sites.  The Nature Coast Marine Group organizes one or two trips to Montague Island each year to snorkel with the seals.

Conditions - Anyone snorkeling at Montague Island should be properly equipped, including with a good wetsuit. Charter operators often provide fins and masks. While the snorkeling sites are usually sheltered, the trip across to the island can sometimes be rough, so those who are prone to seasickness would be well advised to take appropriate medication before departure.

What’s there - The snorkeler can be very close to numbers of these playful seals as they swim effortlessly around, up and down, sometimes hurtling towards the observer and then turning away at the last minute. Their underwater acrobatics is both beautiful and amazing as they move through the water trailing a line of air bubbles. In addition, their appealing and intelligent faces are highly photogenic. While the seals are very playful it must always be remembered that they are wild animals and the snorkeler should never attempt to touch them. Nor should snorkelers attempt to clamber on the rocks where they are resting. It is said that their temperament is quite different on land and it is illegal anyway to go ashore unauthorized on the island.

In addition to snorkeling with the seals, Montague Island offers a dramatic location for snorkeling with massive boulders and a varied marine life.