Australia 2003 - Kangaroo Island
One of the reasons for visiting Kangaroo Island while on our Oz tour was to see the incredible Leafy Sea Dragons and to swim with Seals. We pre booked our diving with KI Diving Safaris who guarantee sightings of dragons with a two day dive package or two further days are provided free. The organisation was certainly a little different to what we are used to, very Australian! We were told to meet at a small bay on the northern side of the Island and when we arrived at 8:00 in the morning the bay was deserted. We hauled our dive kit on to the beach and waited. After a short time a boat appeared around the headland and a RIB was despatched to collect us with a very close personal escort from six friendly Dolphins. It was quickly established that our 5mm suits were not going to be warm enough in the 17 degree waters so we were kited out in 7mm two piece suits from the boat. Since training this was our first 'temperate' diving but despite the extra rubber, weight and hoods, we got on fine. KI Diving Safaris really know the area and provided an excellent service both on board and under the water and we had all the dragons we could handle in our two booked days. The pictures we got of the LSDs are more than we could of hoped for, our only criticism is that this was without doubt the most expensive four dives we have ever made. Was it worth it? Well what price can you put on spending time with Seals, Leafy and Weedy Sea Dragons as well as an encounter with a Port Jackson Shark?