The seals take refuge in this nursery area
with a lovely white sandy beach and rocky
outcrops either side. The tour boat typically
moors just off the beach and a small inflatable
will take you into the shallows and drop you
off with provided wetsuit, mask and snorkel.
I must admit, I really missed wearing flippers
and hence thrashed around a bit awkwardly.
No wonder the sea lions all had smiles on their
faces when they saw my overweight blob,
bobbing around amid the agile antics of the
playful sea pups.
I must admit I shouldn’t have dived with
sharks the day before the sea lions, as the
undercurrent in my mind kept sweeping back
to the overwhelming monoliths swimming free
in the same ocean. Hint: do the sea lions before
you swim with sharks, not after.ALL IN ALL
I can’t recommend a visit to Port Lincoln highly
enough, but don’t think a few days will suffice.
A week is barely minimal! The hospitality of the
locals is unsurpassable and the venues and tour
operations are first-rate.
Port Lincoln should be high on the bucket
list of Australian destinations. If there’s a single
skerrick of salt water in your veins you’ll simply
love it. It's a city on the edge of the desert with
a range of cultural, economic, environmental,
flora and fauna diversity that are uniquely
spectacular.CTAis enough room at the top, inside the cage
to come up for some natural air or to clear
your mask, maybe just to take a deep breath
from the impact of the incredibly confronting
experience.SWIM WITH SEA LIONS
Just when we thought Port Lincoln couldn’t
get any better, we jumped on yet another
beautifullyfittedtourvesseland headed off to
a lonely stretch of beach to free dive with the
wild sea lions.
Hopkins Island seal colony is some 20-odd
kilometres down through the Thorney Passage
in the lower Spencer Gulf. The area is steeped
in history, dating back to the explorer Matthew
Flinders, and there’s plenty of life and sights
along the way.Caught on cameraHaving fun both on and offboard during the sea lion tour"the seals take refuge in this nursery area with a lovelywhite sandy beach and rocky outcrops either side"ADVENTUREShrna ntureUp close and personal with the sea lions