Diving with seals is undoubtedly one
the most thrilling underwater
activities that Eaglehawk Dive Centre
has on offer. It rates up there with
whales and dolphins which are also
found in the region. The seals are more
reliable and tend to be at either of
the two major haulouts most of the
year.
This adventure is not for novices as
good all-round skills particularly
buoyancy control are necessary. Both
Hypolyte Rock and Cape Pillar are
extremely wild parts of Tasmania and it
is not uncommon for sharks to visit the
colonies looking for an easy meal. The
water surrounding Hypolyte Rock drops
down to 90 metres and offers
spectacular wall diving. Strong
currents added to the element of danger
as does the inability to anchor on
site. Eaglehawk Dive Centre runs a live
boat for this dive. This method of
operation facilitates quick pick ups
with divers returning to the surface
one at a time from the ledge beneath
the seal colony.
Winter time is the best time for diving
on this isolated rock as the water is
clear and juveniles seals abound. The
juveniles tend to be the most fun to
dive with as they are curious and
playful. The adults tend to race past
for a quick suspicious look. The adult
males can be down right aggressive when
there are young about. It is still
common, although completely illegal for
fishermen to shoot seals and if this
has occurred prior to a visit they
usually depart the rock as soon as they
see the boat.
Cape Pillar is much the same although
we can anchor at this sight. This
colony is only a short distance from
the wreck of the “SS NORD” and make an
ideal second dive if time allows. You
never can tell, you may encounter a
whale or a pod of dolphins while
travelling the 40 minutes each way to
this site. Visits to this site require
a minimum of four divers and is weather
dependent.
If you have any doubts about the
quality of the diving in Tasmania check
out the January 1997 issue of National
Geographic Magazine and Scuba Diver
and Sport Diving Magazine.
