Header image: pureSA.
We’re approaching the best season to swim with cuttlefish!
Lucky for South Aussies, we live in one of the world’s best breeding grounds for the colour-changing, shape-shifting masters of camouflage.
Giant Australian cuttlefish, the largest of all cuttlefish species, congregate by the thousands in SA every winter. While they can be found on coasts all around the country, SA is one of the best states for cuttlefish swims.
The SA government has highlighted the waters around Point Lowly and Stony Point in the Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park as great areas for spotting cuttlefish.
“They have rocky seabeds, which provide the perfect environment for females to lay and delicately attach their eggs,” they say.
“The sheer number of cuttlefish makes the Whyalla breeding aggregations unique, not just in Australia, but in the world.”
The winter is the best time to snorkel with the species, and while you can venture out on your own, organisations such as pureSA have already begun planning tours. They will host cuttlefish tours off the Whyalla coast. As of now, they have advertised 2-day tour offerings from 21 June to 09 July.
“Just once per year, these visually striking underwater creatures migrate and congregate for their breeding season and are well known for their ability to display arrays of luminescent patterns and colours,” the tour says.
“They are visually striking due to their ability to display arrays of luminescent patterns and colours, which you will see change before your eyes!”
Giant cuttlefish males, which measure up to 50cm long and weigh about 10kg, display colours as part of their mating, and they often camouflage by changing their shape and texture to blend in with sand, rocks, and seaweed.
The once-a-year display is surely a sight to see, so book your tour before they fill up.
Find out more information about cuttlefish and where to go on a self-guided tour here.
To book a tour with pureSA, visit the event page.
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