Dive Site: The Looking Glass

About The Looking Glass

The Looking Glass is a distinctive channel and swim-through forming a narrow cleft within Broughton Island's Little Broughton, located approximately 25 kilometers north of Port Stephens. This signature diving destination is celebrated for its dramatic topography and serves as a vital component of the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park. The site's underwater landscape features boulder reefs and provides a diverse environment with depths ranging from 8 meters at the top of the arch to 28 meters at its deepest points. It stands out in the region for consistently offering excellent visibility, making it a prime location for observing marine life. The Looking Glass is particularly renowned as an aggregation site for protected grey nurse sharks, which are a common and almost guaranteed sight for divers. Beyond these impressive creatures, divers frequently encounter schooling bullseyes and kingfish. The marine park status contributes to a rich ecosystem. Diving here involves boat trips departing from Nelson Bay. While the site presents advanced challenges due to potential surge within the swim-through, it offers a rewarding experience for those seeking encounters with larger marine life and spectacular underwater scenery. Optimal conditions, especially sunlit dives through the arch, significantly enhance the experience.

Dive site facts: The Looking Glass

Depth

8–28 m

Current

Moderate, with surge

Visibility

8–25 m

Water temperature

16–23°C

Entry

Boat

Level

Advanced recommended (due to surge)

Dive type

Reef, mega-fauna, swim-through

Night dive

Possible (Nelson Bay region)

Region / port

Nelson Bay, Australia

Coordinates

-33.56, 151.33

Conditions & Currents

As an offshore site, The Looking Glass experiences moderate currents, which are characteristic of rich marine environments. Within the narrow cleft of the swim-through, surge is a notable factor, classifying it as a genuinely advanced dive where understanding current direction and planning movement are critical. When navigating the arch, divers must proceed in single file, typically along one side, to allow bubbles to rise on the other, thus keeping the space clear for grey nurse sharks. Maintaining exceptional buoyancy control is paramount, particularly in shallower sections of the arch, to prevent unintended ascents. Agreeing as a group whether to ride or actively counter the surge is important, and careful attention to the dive briefing is essential for managing entry, descent, and exit procedures, especially during drift dives. Visibility at Broughton Island, including this site, is

Marine life & sighting chances

Grey Nurse Shark

common

Kingfish

common

Bullseye

common

Eastern Blue Devil Fish

occasional

Cuttlefish

occasional

Dolphin

occasional

Grouper

occasional

Porcupinefish

occasional

Whale

occasional

Dive profile & how the dive runs

Dives at The Looking Glass typically begin with a boat entry. Upon descent, divers enter the narrow swim-through in single file, commonly along the left side. This specific approach ensures that exhaled bubbles rise on one side, leaving the other clear for grey nurse sharks, which are nearly always present. The depth within The Looking Glass transitions from 18 meters, rising to a shallowest point of 8 meters, before dropping back to 13 meters as it opens into a natural 'fish bowl' area. Divers must maintain exceptional buoyancy control throughout, particularly in the shallower sections, to prevent uncontrolled ascents. The dive plan frequently incorporates exploration of nearby walls or caves before or after traversing the main arch. The turn point usually occurs after passing through The Looking Glass, allowing ample time to appreciate the abundant marine life in the subsequent aquarium-like environment. Safety stops are then conducted as part of the ascent.

Underwater photography

Capturing the unique light rays filtering into The Looking Glass swim-through requires careful exposure management, especially when photographing the grey nurse sharks that inhabit the arch. A wide-angle lens is essential to encompass the scale of the swim-through and the schools of fish. For close-up shots of sharks or other macro subjects like nudibranchs on the boulder reefs, a fisheye or macro lens might be considered for different parts of the dive. Given the potential for surge and the need for excellent buoyancy, keeping gear streamlined is important. Consider leaving large strobes on the boat if conditions are particularly challenging to allow full attention to buoyancy and current management. When conditions permit, external strobes can effectively illuminate the interior of the arch or highlight vibrant colors in the kelp forests and on the reef.

Combine with nearby dive sites

• Sutherland Point

  Sutherland Point offers an accessible shore diving experience along the dramatic coastline of Kurnell in Botany Bay, Sydney, New South…

• Magic Point

  Magic Point stands as one of Sydney's most iconic dive sites, recognized as a vital habitat for the critically endangered grey nurse shark…

• Henry Head

  Henry Head is a captivating intermediate-level dive site situated at the mouth of Botany Bay in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

• Bare Island East

  Bare Island East is a highly regarded shore dive in Sydney, celebrated for its diverse and colourful sponge gardens.

• Boarfish Reef

  Boarfish Reef is a renowned boat-access reef located in Victoria, Australia, specifically near Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula.

Getting there & logistics

Access to The Looking Glass, situated within Broughton Island, is exclusively via boat trips, with operations primarily departing from Nelson Bay. Nelson Bay is approximately 2.5 hours drive north of Sydney, Australia. Most trips are day charters, focusing on Broughton Island's various dive sites. While there is no specific marine park fee mentioned for this site, divers should confirm any local park regulations with their operator. The site is typically combined with other diving locations around Broughton Island to form a comprehensive day's diving itinerary, making the most of the area's excellent visibility and diverse marine life. Divers should plan for potential travel from larger hubs like Sydney to reach Nelson Bay.

Safety & environment

Diving at The Looking Glass requires advanced skills due to moderate currents and significant surge within the swim-through, demanding precise buoyancy control. Divers must adhere strictly to dive briefings, especially regarding single-file progression through the arch and managing bubbles to ensure safety for both divers and marine life, particularly grey nurse sharks. The nearest recompression chamber is approximately 210 kilometers away, located near Sydney, highlighting the importance of robust dive insurance that covers emergency evacuation and treatment. Given the offshore location and potential for challenging conditions, divers should always carry essential safety equipment such as a DSMB and know how to deploy it. Proper planning for gas consumption and adherence to no-decompression limits are critical, as the environment does not offer easy access to sheltered water.

Who it suits — and who it doesn't

FAQ

The Looking Glass FAQ

Liveaboards diving The Looking Glass

These liveaboards may visit The Looking Glass on selected itineraries — the exact dive sites depend on departure, weather and conditions.

Spoilsport

Australia

28 guests30 m

$291/day

Odyssey Liveaboard

Australia

20 guests24 m

$392/day