Neptune Islands Conservation Park
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The Neptune Islands Group consist of two groups of islands located close to the entrance to Spencer Gulf and are best known as an exciting location to go cage diving with great white sharks.
This area is a world renowned hot spot for the vulnerable white sharks, that regularly forage in the area for seals. The rocky-cragged coves of the Neptune Islands are an important breeding sites for long nose fur seals. It is Australia’s largest colony of long nose fur seals with half the Australian population breeding here. The area is influenced by the warm Leeuwin Current in winter and the cold Flinders Current in summer, ensuring there is a large temperature difference between the seasons. This has a large impact on the biodiversity of the area.
High up on the granite outcrops, you’ll see White Breasted Sea Eagles hunting for supremacy with Ospreys, hear the conversational twitter of Rock Parrots and marvel at the fabled Albatross. It’s a bird-lover’s paradise.
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, access onto the islands is restricted, with a permit required to enter.
Visitor information, bookings and park management:
National Parks and Wildlife Service Port Lincoln Office
Phone: (+61 8) 8688 3111
Email: EPParks@sa.gov.au
Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre
3 Adelaide Place, Port Lincoln
Phone: 1300 788 378
Email: info@visitportlincoln.net.au
Visit Port Lincoln website
Emergency contacts:
Medical, fire (including bushfire) and police emergency situations
Phone: Triple Zero — 000
Police Assistance
Phone: 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance
National Parks and Wildlife Service SA – After-hours duty officer
Phone: 08 8688 3223
Injured wildlife:
Within the park
Please contact National Parks and Wildlife Service Port Lincoln Officeon (08) 8688 3111 or the after-hours duty officer on (08) 8688 3223
Outside of the park
Please contact a local wildlife rescue group
Marine mammals
If you find a sick or stranded marine mammal (including whales, seals, sea lions and dolphins), please contact National Parks and Wildlife Service Port Lincoln Office on (08) 8688 3111 or the after-hours duty officer on (08) 8688 3223
You can visit the islands all year round on a shark cage dive boat. Three tour operators are licenced to conduct shark cage diving tours in the park.
In good weather you can access the islands on your own, large, seaworthy, boat capable of off-shore operation as the islands are a considerable way offshore.
The islands are only accessible by large boats.
The City of Port Lincoln is located approximately 70km to the north of the Neptune Islands and is easily accessed by air from Adelaide International Airport. Or you can drive from Adelaide to Port Lincoln which is approximately a 7.5 hour drive.
There are no facilities in the park. Please ensure you carry sufficient water, food and supplies for your entire visit. It is also a good idea to let a responsible person know of your intended movements and when you expect to return.
Assistance dogs are permitted in most public places and are therefore welcome in South Australia’s parks and reserves. Assistance dogs must be appropriately restrained on a lead and remain under your effective control at all times while in a park or reserve.
As per the dogs in parks and reserves policy, if the dog is not an accredited assistance dog, they must be trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate that disability and meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for a dog in a public place. However, refusal may be given if the person with the disability is unable to produce evidence the dog is an assistance dog with the appropriate training.
Before taking your assistance dog into a park that does not normally allow dogs, it is highly recommended that you contact us so we can provide you with the latest information on any potential hazards within specific parks that may affect your dog. Please contact the park via the contact details provided under the contact tab or contact the visitor service centre via email or on Facebook.
Dogs are not permitted in this park.
Discover which parks you can walk your dog in on our find a park tool or read 12 dog-friendly walks in Adelaide Parks by Good Living for inspiration.
Animals
High up on their granite outcrops, you’ll see White Breasted Sea Eagles hunting for supremacy with Ospreys, hear the conversational twitter of Rock Parrots and marvel at the fabled Albatross. It’s a bird-lover’s paradise.
The area is a spawning site for southern rock lobster, Maori octopus, greenlip abalone, blacklip abalone, purple sea urchin, western blue groper and sea sweep.
The islands are full of wonderful species of mammals, reptiles and birds; some of them peculiar to the Neptunes. One of the many highlights is watching the rare and elusive Australian Sea Lions interacting on the beach. Every turn, every direction, there is something new and unique to observe – baby fur seals learning to swim in rock pools set against the majestic Southern Ocean crashing into megalithic, granite outcrops.
And of course Great White Sharks!
Environmental considerations and important features:
• World renowned hot spot for the vulnerable white shark, who regularly forage in the area for seals.
• The Neptune Islands are the most important long nose fur seal pup production site in South Australia (half of the Australian population breed here – distributed evenly over both main islands).
• The area also has a small breeding colony of the vulnerable Australian sea lion which feed in the waters surrounding the islands.
• Seabirds whose habitats are required to be protected under international treaties roost and nest on the islands.
• The area also provides breeding habitat for the little penguin, rare rock parrot, rare sooty oystercatcher, rare Cape Barren goose, endangered white-bellied sea-eagle and endangered fairy tern.
• The North Neptune Islands Sanctuary Zone represents an entire offshore island and its associated intertidal and subtidal habitats. Offshore islands are not represented well in sanctuary zones throughout the marine parks network, due to their importance as fishing grounds.
• Habitat for the endangered coastal stingaree, which is endemic to South Australia.
• The area is influenced by the warm Leeuwin Current in winter and the cold Flinders Current in summer, ensuring there is a large temperature difference between the seasons. This has a large impact on the biodiversity of the area.
• Spawning for southern rock lobster, Maori octopus, greenlip abalone, blacklip abalone, purple sea urchin, western blue groper and sea sweep.
• Nursery habitat for all these species except western blue groper.
Flora and fauna species lists
To download flora (plants) and fauna (animals) species lists for this park, use the ‘Create Simple Species List’ tab under ‘Flora Tools’ or ‘Fauna Tools’ in NatureMaps.
- All islands in the park are Prohibited Areas. No land access is allowed without permission.
- Please note north Neptune Island is a sanctuary zone, no fishing allowed.
- Important: Collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited. Dead wood plays a vital role in providing shelter for animals and adding nutrients to the soil.
Aboriginal peoples have occupied, enjoyed and managed the lands and waters of this State for thousands of generations. For Aboriginal first nations, creation ancestors laid down the laws of the Country and bestowed a range of customary rights and obligations to the many Aboriginal Nations across our state.
There are many places across the State that have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal first nations. At some of these places Aboriginal cultural protocols, such as restricted access, are promoted and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of Traditional Owners.
In places where protocols are not promoted visitors are asked to show respect by not touching or removing anything, and make sure you take all your rubbish with you when you leave.
Aboriginal peoples continue to play an active role in caring for their Country, including in parks across South Australia.
The Neptune Islands were named by English Explorer, Matthew Flinders in 1802. He named them this because they seemed so remote and inaccessible. Sailing by, he left their unique environment untouched. Over 200 years later, not much has changed.
There are no specific bushwalking trails within this park.
Take the plunge and come face to face with a Great White Shark!
Male Great Whites (up to 5‑metres/16-feet) inhabit the islands all year round. Long nose fur seal pups are born in summer (December to January), but don’t start entering the ocean until winter (April to August). That’s when the giant female Great Whites (up to 6‑metres/19-feet) come to the Neptune’s. That extra metre almost doubles their body-weight.
There are several tour companies which offer shark diving expeditions to the Islands:
Great White World
Fishing is allowed around the southern Neptune Islands. Fishing is prohibited within the Marine Park Sanctuary Zone surrounding the northern Neptune Islands.
Every national park is different, each has its own unique environment, it is important to be responsible while enjoying all the park has to offer.
Please ensure that you:
- leave your pets at home
- do not feed birds or other animals, it promotes aggressive behaviour and an unbalanced ecology
- do not bring generators (except where permitted), chainsaws or firearms into the park
- leave the park as you found it — there are no bins in national parks, please come prepared to take your rubbish with you.
- abide by the road rules (maintain the speed limit)
- respect geological and heritage sites
- do not remove native plants
- are considerate of other park users.
- Important: Collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited. Dead wood plays a vital role in providing shelter for animals and adding nutrients to the soil.
Wood fires, solid fuel fires and gas or liquid fires are prohibited throughout the year to the low water mark.
When visiting on your own you can enjoy this park for free.
This park is not included in the park pass system.
