Australia

Awave of excitement and stomach ‘butterflies’

In truth, the nervous energy always starts well before the dive for me. Early in the morning, coming over one of the last hills on the road to the Jetty, a spectacular panorama of St Vincent’s Gulf and surrounding hills unfolds in front of you. It’s an inspiring view, and a welcome site after the 90-minute drive from South Australia’s capital, Adelaide. Not long now, you will be diving the renowned Rapid Bay Jetty.

Rapid Bay Jetty has been rated as one of the top 50 dive sites ‘to do’ in Australia. A list many of us are working through as overseas travel uncertainty is set to continue for the foreseeable future. But what is it about this site that makes it so dive-able? Apart from being known as one of the sites to see leafy sea dragons, for me its history and structure has contributed to this accolade, and the reason you are unlikely to tire of this expansive site any time soon.

One of the most-popular dive sites in South Australia, Rapid Bay Jetty is, in fact, two jetties, and they run parallel to each other. From land the site is nestled between beautiful, secluded beaches and rugged cliffs. From the sea it’s located near the Rapid Head Sanctuary Zone and a part of the greater Encounter Marine network.

The original jetty’s construction was completed back in 1942 and was used to transport limestone from the open cut mine over-looking it, down onto the large ships that transported it to places like Whyalla and Port Kembla to be used as a component in steel fabrication. So, as a working industrial Jetty, its wooden construction was heavy and well- fortified to withstand the large ships docking back in its working days. The second Jetty is a much more modern steel and concrete construction and was opened to the public in 2009.

Despite its fortification the original Jetty has been closed for over a decade to all foot traffic as it is no longer safe or stable – a good call as in the last couple of years alone large sections of the jetty have begun to collapse with a significant collapse occurring early January 2022, although it still has a long way to go before it is totally gone. This fated demise has been occurring since its construction and why I think of it as a wreck and reef dive as well as a beautiful Jetty dive. However, this decline of the Jetty is the very thing that gives this site its uniqueness and beauty. Early in its life the jetty developed structural issues. Teredo Worm or ‘shipworm’ had begun to infest the pylons and caused them to weaken and decay – the fix to this was to encase the pylons in concrete collars, but over time they too have become unstable and cracked and fell to the seafloor, creating a reef structure and habitat.

Photographs by Chelsea Haebich

At Rapid Bay, you’ll also find an important South Australian landmark - a boulder on which Colonel Light carved his initials after he first stepped ashore. It’s reported that he said “I have hardly seen a place I like better”.

The seaward facing ‘T’ section of the Jetty underwent a major reconstruction too, with the pylons of the dolphins at the end being replaced with steel – making it the part of the Jetty that will last the longest. These two elements – the broken concrete collars on the floor and the reinforcing steel pylons at the end of the Jetty - are what create the distinctive features and character of this site.

Diving this site is mostly straightforward but there are a few logistics to be aware of – firstly, it’s size. While there are two Jetties at this site, the newer one is mainly viewed by divers as an access point to the much-larger original Jetty. However, getting your gear down it is another matter! On a hot 40-degree day it can be quite a slog, with seasoned local divers the envy of interstate visitors with their trolleys and purpose-built set-ups - the way to go if you can.

While growth and life has started to develop on the modern concrete pylons of the new Jetty, it’s the diving platform at the end that is the main attraction for divers as it places them within metres of the main arm of the old jetty. After a long walk, having the comfort of a large, submerged purpose-built platform to do your final checks and collect your camera is bliss! Once these logistics have been traversed and you’re in the water, there is much to explore – far more than can be done in one or two dives to really do this site justice. I highly recommend giving this site a few days’ worth of diving, if time and budget allows.

Secondly – once in the water time, gas management and directional awareness is essential. At 400 metres long and 180 across the T section, it’s a big site! It’s easy to turn the dive for shore and travel back down the jetty only to run out of jetty – and discover you have, in fact, gone down one of the arms and further away from shore. Therefore, I recommend discovering the site over several dives, perhaps with a local guide, or even better from a boat.

Underwater Sports Diving Centre is one such dive shop that runs boat dives to this site. Booking onto a dive with them can save you the task of carrying your gear and swimming a long distance to the T section. They will put you right in the middle of the action and have a great reputation for leafy spotting. Beginning the dive, you can either surface swim across to the old Jetty and descend, using the pylons as a visual reference, or drop below the entry platform and use the star pickets to navigate across. Both very easy options. My preference is for dropping down and crossing. The stony bottom often harbors critters like blue ring octopus, pipefish and if your fortunate, sometimes even a leafy sea dragon or two.

Once across to the old Jetty, settled and orientated, the best way to continue is to slowly work your way down the Jetty. The obvious feature of this environment are the concrete castings that litter the floor directly under the Jetty. Also, as the Jetty sits unusually high out of the water it lets lots of light in and this has allowed a lot of competitive growth between species of kelp and

An artificial reef exists five kilometres (3.1 mi) north-northwest of Rapid Head (i.e. the headland at the west side of the bay). In 2002, HMAS Hobart, a decommissioned guided missile destroyer, was scuttled there in 30m of water to create a scuba diving site.

algae to grow on the bottom surfaces and pylons – much more so than at sites like Edithburgh. Peering under the concave fragments of concrete you can find blue devils, giant cuttlefish, crays and eels. It’s not long before you begin to realize that there is so much more to this site than leafies! Its structure is home to so much marine biodiversity.

For photographers there are abundant opportunities for macro shots with lots of nudibranch species, pipefish, sponges, snails, cryptic creatures and crustaceans to keep you occupied. Wide angle is not to be a missed opportunity here either. Lots of light enters this site – great for sunbeam shots between the pylons. A rainbow of colourful sponges jostle for space on the pylons and its always a pleasure to capture some of the iconic species of this site in wide habitat shots.

One notable creature to exploit the unique concrete features of this site is the photogenic southern blue devil. In recent years they have returned in numbers to take up residency under the concave blocks – a perfect habitat. Charismatic giant cuttlefish also favour these structures for a daytime lair. They can often be seen resting on their ‘doorstep’ watching reef life pass them by. Over the years I have seen many leafies at this site – from translucent juveniles, that disappear before your eyes in the kelp and brown algae, to large egg yolk yellow adults. I have even had the privilege to see five leafies congregating – so rare I was at a loss to make much of the behaviour. The Jetty is often overlooked in favour of hunting for this elusive creature. They can be found at any time at almost any part of the Jetty with a few reliable places, including the surrounding grass beds. Word of mouth on the day from other divers or a guide is the best way to see one – or simply try your luck and enjoy everything else on offer until your ’moment’ happens.

Once you have explored these broken structures, you’ll reach the end of the Jetty, and you will discover the most iconic part of this large dive site. The T section is known affectionately by locals as the Aquarium or Gallery. Here, reaching the deepest part of the site at 10m, the metal pylons are spaced much closer together and block some of the available light and calm the waters. This creates the sensation of entering an underwater forest. Subsequently schooling fish seek refuge here. Yellowtails and large schools of old wives gather and contrast against the

beautiful rainbow colours of the pylons and blue-green water. It really pays to look up at this site.

In the Aquarium is where the fish species numbers seem to peak. Floating motionless, watching, it feels like a fish metropolis has descended around you. I could watch for hours the social interactions, displays and territory disputes that go on in this crowded underwater world. That said, it is very easy to get lost and lose track of time – so I have one golden rule for this site. No matter what is going on I always turn my dive for shore at 100 bar.

This allows plenty of time to return and gives you some wiggle room to explore a little on the way back if the tides have picked up. Once you’re back at the new Jetty keep your eyes peeled for the Laurel and Hardy Show put on by the horned blennies jostling for occupancy of the highly sought-after barnacle shells on the pylons – a great way to blow off the last of your gas before exiting.

Tides at this site aren’t too much of an issue – but they must be respected. It’s always preferable to dive on the slack of the high or low tide when water movement is minimal. Not only is this a safer way to dive this site, but you will also have better interactions with wildlife as they too will be more relaxed and not battling the currents. Wind is more of a concern and the best conditions to look for are mild south easterlies and north easterlies.

Getting to Rapid Bay is straightforward. Locals – just pack your gear for the day, get an early start and get on down there for the best parking space. Those coming from interstate – do the same, but look for accommodation options available around Normanville and Carrickalinga or Second Valley. Options range from caravan parks and Air BNBs to whole houses for groups of travellers. Accommodation further afield might be of benefit as well with McLaren Vale wine region a short drive from the area. There are plenty of businesses to help with your stay as well – a well-stocked supermarket, bakeries, restaurants and cafes as well as a few breweries. My favourite!

The nearest dive shops are back in Adelaide so you will need to arrive with everything you need to dive – it’s a long drive back if you have forgotten something. That said if you are doing multiple days of diving and need to get tanks filled, Second Valley Air Fills is a much- welcomed recent business to set up on the Fleurieu. With the Bauer compressor they have a quick turnaround for fills and have a few spare items if needed. Peter Corrigan looks after this business. Contact him ahead of your trip either through Facebook or on 0499 229 053.

So, as you can see there are many reasons why this Jetty sits high on the best ‘to do’ sites in Australia. Apart from being nestled in the Fleurieu Peninsula - a beautiful part of the world, the Jetty itself offers such a variety of experiences for divers. Sure, there are plenty of good opportunities to see Leafy Sea Dragons – but beyond that the unique wildlife, colours and structure are well worth you spending some time planning your next trip down here for your next adventure. n

Chelsea is a South Australian based underwater photographer who is keenly passionate about what temperate water diving has to offer. As a PADI instructor and dive guide, Chelsea also spends her time guiding and helping others capture awardwinning images of South Australia’s unique underwater creatures. More of her photography can be viewed here: 34south.com.au