Coffs Harbour and Solitary Islands

Written by DiveJourney. Built from public sources and local operator knowledge. Last updated Oct 29, 2026.

• NSW Government | Solitary Islands Marine Park - State tourism record confirms free marine-park entry, mixed tropical and temperate marine life and official park contact.
• NSW DPIRD | SCUBA diving and snorkelling in Solitary Islands Marine Park - Official island ecology, year-round tour context, offshore emphasis and grey nurse shark aggregation site designation.
• NSW DPIRD | Marine park zones and regulations - Official non-extractive use rules and requirement to consult current site-specific zoning map.
• NSW DPIRD | Marine park activity restrictions - Official sanctuary-zone anchoring restriction and public mooring arrangements.
• NSW DPIRD | Solitary Islands Marine Park permits and approvals - Identifies commercial tourism, events, research and habitat-interfering activities that need permits.
• NSW DPIRD | Grey nurse shark aggregation site fishing and diving rules - Confirms Manta Arch and The Steps/Anemone Bay as aggregation sites with diving allowed and separate fishing controls.
• Parks Australia | Code of conduct for diving with grey nurse sharks - Primary code for Commonwealth Pimpernel Rock and Cod Grounds: no night diving at aggregation sites, no obstruction, feeding, harassment or large groups.
• Parks Australia | Pimpernel Rock national park zone notice - Commonwealth protection and fishing prohibition at Pimpernel Rock; distinguish from state waters and visitor region.
• Jetty Dive Centre | Coffs Harbour - Operator home page documents Coffs jetty departures, mixed scuba/snorkel day charters and on-site training.
• Jetty Dive | Dive sites of the Solitary Islands - Local source for South Solitary, Manta Arch, Shark Gutters, Split, Groper and North Solitary conditions, depths and conditional Pimpernel trips.
• Jetty Dive | Solitary Islands half-day dive trips - Operator schedules, 2026 advertised AUD trip prices, equipment rental, booking terms and current prerequisites.
• Jetty Dive | Solitary Islands snorkeling trips - Explicit experienced-swimmer requirement, un-guided format unless requested, minimum visibility criterion and pricing.
• Jetty Dive | Solitary Islands fish identification - Operator observations: grey nurse sharks especially April-November, manta rays January-April and leopard sharks usually January-February.
• Jetty Dive | Frequently asked questions - Operator annual schedule conditional on weather and minimum numbers, proof of certification and seasonal whale watching.
• Jetty Dive | Bookings and cancellation conditions - Official deposit and weather cancellation policy; check exact package at reservation.
• Jetty Dive | PADI Freediver course - On-demand PADI freediving course with classroom, pool and open-water training, age and swimming prerequisites, and advertised fee.
• Jetty Dive | Molchanovs freediver course - Alternative documented Wave 1 training product with minimum cohort size and open-water components; not a regular island freedive charter.
• Jetty Dive | 2026 whale swim - Operator says the 2026 whale swim season has ended, reports only eight 2026 departures, and disclaims encounter certainty.
• Jetty Dive | Whale watching Coffs Harbour - June-October whale-watching product and advertised per-person 2026 price.
• PADI | Diving in Coffs Harbour - Seasonal water-temperature guidance, winter grey nurse emphasis, practical destination basics and CFS airport.
• Bureau of Meteorology | Coffs Harbour Airport climate statistics - Official monthly air-temperature and rainfall climatology; describes land weather, not diving sea-state forecasts.
• Destination NSW | Coffs Harbour visitor guide - Official tourism information for mixed groups, Muttonbird Island, Jetty Beach, water activities and operators.
• Destination NSW | Coffs Coast whale watching - June-October whale-watching planning and headland opportunities, including late-season southbound migration.
• Destination NSW | Best Coffs Coast beaches - Details Moonee Beach snorkeling and unpatrolled-water warning; describes sheltered family swimming at Jetty Beach.
• NSW National Parks | Muttonbird Island visitor information - Land-based whale watching, protected shearwater burrows, annual bird season and limited special lighthouse tours.
• NSW National Parks | Muttonbird Island ecology - Wedge-tailed shearwaters return in August and leave in late April, with sensitive nest habitat.
• NSW National Parks | Muttonbirds by Moonlight guided tour - Scheduled ranger-guided Gumbaynggirr cultural/natural-history experience and listed admission fees.
• Destination NSW | Solitary Islands Coastal Walk - Coastal walks, headlands, birdlife and mixed-group shore itinerary option.
• Destination NSW | Look At Me Now Headland Walk - Gumbaynggirr cultural importance, whale lookout, resident kangaroos and trails.
• NSW Government | North Coast Regional Botanic Garden - Free garden, wheelchair-friendly paths and flora close to town.
• North Coast Regional Botanic Garden | Visitor information - Official local garden hours, access and facilities.
• Destination NSW | C-Change Adventures kayak and paddleboard hire - Documented Boambee/Bonville/Coffs Creek kayaking for non-divers and mixed groups.
• Coffs Coast | Local cultural and eco experiences - Gumbaynggirr-led cultural and water experiences; product dates should be reconfirmed.
• Coffs Harbour Airport | Destinations - Current marketed service to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane; seasonal Canberra service is not a permanent assumption.
• Coffs Harbour Airport | Ground transport - Taxis, scheduled buses, shuttles and rideshare for arrival logistics.
• Transport for NSW | Sydney-Coffs Harbour train - Official bookable intercity rail alternative; schedules subject to date and service changes.
• Australian Home Affairs | Can I go to Australia? - Australian and NZ passport exemptions and requirement for other nationalities to check and arrange an appropriate visa.
• Australian Border Force | Required travel documents - Entry requires correct valid documents and visa or authority; most travelers must complete an incoming passenger card.
• NSW Beachwatch | Is it safe to swim? - State advice to avoid ocean beaches for at least a day and estuaries up to three days after heavy rain.
• NSW National Parks | Beach safety - Rip current, flag and changing-surf safety guidance for shore swimmers and snorkelers.
• Mid North Coast Local Health District | Coffs Harbour Health Campus - Official 24-hour hospital emergency department and contact details; not evidence of a local hyperbaric chamber.
• NSW Government | Emergency services - Official Triple Zero 000 emergency number.
• Marine Rescue NSW | Coffs Harbour - Official emergency communication recommendation VHF channel 16 or 000 for vessel incidents.
• Divers Alert Network | Contact and emergency assistance - Official 1800 088 200 Australian diving emergency advice line; other emergency numbers when abroad.
• Australian DCCEEW | Whale and dolphin watching guidance - Legal context for marine mammal distance/harassment rules and separate NSW water jurisdiction.
• Parks Australia | Pimpernel Rock National Park Zone - Current linked authority factsheet permits scuba subject to grey nurse code, prohibits fishing/marker buoy interference; editorial region not the legal zone.
• Parks Australia | Temperate East network activity rules - Current authority-linked2018–2028network rules distinguish allowed non-extractive recreation from commercial scuba/snorkel tours requiring authorisation.
• Destination hero photo by Anthony Jorm (historical) - Hills Beach tombolo 2022.jpg. Photo: Anthony Jorm / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Cropped and resized. Cropped image retains the same license.
• Destination hero photo by Kristin Hoel - Moonyfish off Muttonbird Island. Unsplash License (https://unsplash.com/license). Photographer: https://unsplash.com/@hoelk. Cropped and resized for the cover.