AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS

Diving in Northern Territory

Explore 82 listed dive sites and find the local knowledge to help plan your visit.

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YouDive turtle in an illustrated Northern Territory setting; not a photograph of Northern Territory

Custom YouDive mascot art inspired by Northern Territory. An imaginative illustration, not a photograph or map of this destination.

Your bearings, in a minute

Northern Territory at a glance

Start with the local site mix, explore the map and find people to ask about your trip.

Explore
82 site records
Recorded settings
Wreck · Reef · Artificial Reef
Map coverage
82 locations to explore
Plan with local help
Meet the listed operators

Directory counts describe published records, not bookable trips. Location confidence is shown separately in the map list. How we check information →

Sources, authorship and review status

Prepared by YouDive editorial with AI assistance. No firsthand visit, equipment test or instructor review is implied.

Independent specialist review: pending. We publish a reviewer’s name, qualifications, date and exact review scope only after the review has actually happened.

Who can contribute and how reviews work →

Find your bearings

Explore Northern Territory on the map

Compare where the recorded sites sit, then open a site to read its access and source notes. Locations are for orientation, not marine navigation or entry instructions.

82 matching records · 82 with a map location · 0 without a usable position.

The local notebook

Where should you start in Northern Territory?

Use the actual places attached to the local records to narrow your research. These are recorded nearby towns and areas, not verified departure points or accommodation recommendations.

Different outings to look into

Details drawn from individual published site records
Local exampleRecorded nearby placeRecorded accessFollow the evidence
Beaufort A9-497DarwinBoat (day trip)Recorded source ↗
Adelaide River Mouth Engineered ReefDarwin (Leaders Creek / Gunn Point)Boat (day trip)Recorded source ↗
Bremer IslandNhulunbuyBoat (day trip)Recorded source ↗
Alyangula WharfAlyangulaShore or BoatRecorded source ↗
How to use this shortlist

Choose the named outing that interests you first. Compare its recorded place and access with your accommodation plans, then obtain the actual meeting address and schedule from the provider. The site links show the underlying depth, location confidence and source notes. Similar town names or map positions do not establish that two outings can be combined in a day.

A closer look at Northern Territory

Get a feel for the diving

Our Northern Territory directory currently includes 82 published site records. The largest recorded category is wreck (35 records). Use the mix below to decide what you would like to read about first.

The YouDive turtle introducing this destination’s guide

Northern Territory: what’s in the directory?

A visual guide to recorded site types. Counts show coverage, not popularity or current availability.

Wreck35 records
Reef12 records
Artificial Reef11 records
Aircraft Wreck8 records
Island8 records
Other recorded types8 records

Source: published YouDive directory records for Northern Territory. Bars use the same scale within this graphic; the longest is the largest category, not 100% of the destination.

A few local records to compare

Start with Beaufort A9-497, Adelaide River Mouth Engineered Reef, Bremer Island. These are examples from different recorded categories, not a recommended route or a list of the best sites. Open each record for its sources, map and review notes.

One alphabetical example per recorded type, up to four types
SiteRecorded typeAccessDepth
Beaufort A9-497Aircraft WreckBoat (day trip)Maximum recorded: 18 m
Adelaide River Mouth Engineered Reef

Details need confirmation

Artificial ReefBoat (day trip)11–16 m
Bremer IslandIslandBoat (day trip)5–40 m
Alyangula Wharf

Details need confirmation

Jetty/PierShore or BoatDepth not recorded

How the recorded depths compare

A dot shows a recorded maximum. A line joins the recorded minimum and maximum when both are available. These are site descriptions, not target depths or certification limits.

Beaufort A9-497Maximum recorded: 18 m
Alyangula WharfDepth not recorded

No mark plotted: depth is missing.

The table above contains the same depth values. Depth alone cannot establish suitability, and records may require correction. Source: the linked site records.

Start an NT diving enquiry with local knowledge

Use the directory to discover names and ask better questions. Establish who currently offers the particular activity, where it takes place and what participation requirements apply before building a holiday around a stored site record.

Turn a record into a current enquiry

A published location may be useful historical or geographic information without describing a trip that can be booked today. Contact a relevant local provider with the site name, your dates and your recent experience. Ask what activities are actually running and which sites may be considered. Keep a clear distinction between a place being listed and an operator agreeing to take you there.

Ask for the whole arrangement

Establish the departure, access permissions, equipment support and current local briefing. Tell the provider which qualifications and equipment you have, rather than assuming a generic beginner or experienced label is enough. If it cannot provide the activity you want, ask about appropriate alternatives and investigate those separately. Avoid making a booking from a map pin or old access description alone.

Keep your travel flexible until the details are clear

Before connecting flights, accommodation and other activities to the outing, get the expected timetable and booking terms. Identify who handles changes and what remains unanswered. The useful outcome of early research may be a different activity or a different date. Leave that possibility open while you confirm the practical details with people who operate locally.

Three conversations worth having before you book

Site research

Is a relevant operator currently offering this activity?

Treat a directory entry as a starting point.

Access enquiry

Which permissions and local briefing apply?

Use current arrangements, not an old pin.

Travel booking

What is confirmed and what may still change?

Keep dependent bookings flexible.

From “that looks lovely” to a plan

Make Northern Territory your kind of dive trip

Find your starting point, meet the local options and keep your ideas together. You do not need to have the whole trip worked out yet.

Where are you on your diving journey?

These are learning paths to explore, not prerequisites for every local site. Confirm the actual course, instructor and your readiness with the provider.

People to talk to about Northern Territory

A few operator profiles from this state or territory to start exploring. Shown alphabetically, not as a quality ranking. Ask about the specific trip or course you want.

Listed in this state or territory

Dive Darwin

Darwin

The main verified dive operation in the Northern Territory, offering recreational training through professional level alongside technical diving and a large specialty range.

Listed agencies: padi. Check current affiliations and course availability.

Meet this operator →

Listed in this state or territory

Sea Darwin

Darwin

Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.

Meet this operator →

Compare these local operators →

Browse all operator profiles in this state or territory →

Let’s put the pieces together

Start with the place and your questions. Add dates and prices once you have spoken with the people running the trip.

Open my trips

Creates a new trip with this destination, useful reading and starter questions. Saved on this browser; export a backup from My trips.

THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF

Start with current local advice, not a map pin

Northern Territory records require particular care in how they are used. The NT Government warns that crocodiles occur in coastal, harbour and river environments. A site appearing in this directory is not a recommendation to enter the water. Research the exact activity with a qualified local provider and follow current official access and crocodile-safety guidance.

Choose the setting, then the trip

There are 82 published site records across Northern Territory. The recorded categories include wreck (35), reef (12), artificial reef (11), aircraft wreck (8). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.

Start with one of the regional pages below. State-wide totals are useful for browsing, but the actual choice should be made at the level of an operator, a site and a proposed itinerary.

Research operators in Northern Territory →

Ask before booking

  1. Is there a current, appropriate operator-led activity at this location?
  2. Which official access and wildlife guidance applies?
  3. What permissions and travel arrangements must be confirmed?

Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.

Record your trip questions →

Darwin records

Historical, harbour and offshore listings provide research context. Confirm whether a visitor trip is actually offered and appropriate; do not turn a recorded location into a self-directed shore plan.

Remote regions

Resolve permissions, transport and the provider’s operating arrangements before building an itinerary. A place name alone does not establish public access.

Official guidance

Use the NT Government’s current advice and local operational decisions. The absence of a warning in a directory record is not evidence that a hazard is absent.

Questions, answered

How do I choose a dive in Northern Territory?

Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 82 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.

When should I visit Northern Territory for diving?

Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.

Can I use these maps to enter or navigate a dive site?

No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.

Regional planning context: NT Government — Be Crocwise ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.

Find your region

Dive sites to explore

Find local operators
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs

Amanda Lee

An 18–20 m trepang vessel lying on her port side with wheelhouse, rails and a large Kort nozzle clearly visible and good coral…

Boat (day trip)Up to 28 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs

Antares and Steel Barge

Upright 22 m coastal trader scuttled in 2011 with a steel barge alongside – part of the Antares, Amelia C and Merindah Pearl…

Boat (day trip)Up to 28 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

Booya

A complete 1917 three-masted schooner lost with five people in Cyclone Tracy and found by chance in 2003.

Boat (day trip)Up to 22 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

British Motorist

Engine-room remains of the tanker that was refuelling USS Peary when the 1942 raid began.

Boat (day trip)Up to 20 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteAircraft Wreck

Darwin Harbour

C-47 Dakota A65-115

An almost intact RAAF Dakota transport that ditched off Mindil Beach in 1946, reached by a heritage mooring and guide line.

Boat (day trip)Up to 22 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

DK 06 Ham Luong

A small, upright refugee boat packed with fish, in reach of two other wrecks on the same dive.

Boat (day trip)Up to 25 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

Ellengowan

Darwin Harbour's oldest known shipwreck - an 1866 Norwegian-built missionary steamer with its boiler standing proud.

Boat (day trip)Up to 14 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

John Holland Barge

An upturned construction barge whose cylinders and beams form a maze of overhangs full of fish.

Boat (day trip)Up to 25 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs

Marchart 3

The 32 m ex-research vessel and prawn trawler that founded the Fenton Patches reef field in 1988 – upright, intact and heavily…

Boat (day trip)Up to 28 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

Medkhanun 3

A modern confiscated fishing boat lying intact on its side, with holds and wheelhouse visible - the shallowest of the complex.

Boat (day trip)Up to 20 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs

SS Brisbane

The NT's largest surviving colonial wreck: an 85 m 1881 steamer whose boilers break the surface at low springs while the intact…

Boat (day trip)Up to 12 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

SS Mauna Loa

Holds still full of 1942 war cargo - trucks, Bren carriers, a Harley-Davidson and ammunition.

Boat (day trip)Up to 20 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

SS Zealandia

The former Huddart Parker liner and troopship, now the most coral-covered of the 1942 raid wrecks.

Boat (day trip)Up to 22 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

USAT Meigs

The largest ship sunk in the 1942 raid, with a Bren gun carrier in the bow, trucks, railway iron and ammunition dumps still on…

Boat (day trip)Up to 18 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

USS Peary

The US destroyer sunk with 88 of her crew in the first raid on Darwin; the harbour's deepest and most solemn WWII dive.

Boat (day trip)Up to 30 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs

Amelia C

A 25 m prawn trawler cleaned by Darwin Sub Aqua Club volunteers and scuttled in 2013 – upright, open and busy with snapper and…

Boat (day trip)Up to 28 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteAircraft Wreck

Darwin Harbour

Beaufort A9-497

An intact RAAF Beaufort bomber with guns and cockpit instruments in place, found by sonar and kept undisturbed.

Boat (day trip)Up to 18 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteWreck

Darwin Harbour

Bellbird

An upturned Cyclone Tracy trawler draped in gorgonians, a few minutes from the CBD and sheltered from the trade winds.

Boat (day trip)Up to 16 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteArtificial Reef

Darwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs

Bottlewasher Artificial Reef

An old Coca-Cola bottle-washing machine surrounded by 1,500 tonnes of concrete culverts – a shallow, fishy and unmistakably…

Boat (day trip)Up to 15 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteIsland

East Arnhem Land & Gove

Bremer Island

Gove's closest island dive: colourful fringing coral in the shallows and sponge- and fan-filled caves deeper down, with turtles…

Boat (day trip)Up to 40 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteArtificial Reef

Darwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs

Bus Stop Reef

An improvised early-1990s reef of steel pontoons, truck tyres, concrete bus shelters and a 10 m boat, known for very large cod.

Boat (day trip)Up to 25 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteAircraft Wreck

Darwin Harbour

Catalina A24-1 (Catalina 1)

The RAAF's first Catalina, crashed on take-off in 1945 and left on a mangrove mud bank where its engines show at low tide.

Boat (day trip)Up to 5 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteAircraft Wreck

Darwin Harbour

Catalina A24-206 (Catalina 3)

An RAAF Catalina sunk by an accidental depth-charge explosion in 1945 that killed two airmen; nose section intact.

Boat (day trip)Up to 16 m
NTYouDive mascot illustration; not a photograph of the siteAircraft Wreck

Darwin Harbour

Catalina A24-69 (Catalina 2)

The most intact RAAF Catalina in the harbour, with its bow and cockpit section still recognisable in 10-12 m.

Boat (day trip)Up to 12 m