AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS
Diving in Northern Territory
Explore 82 listed dive sites and find the local knowledge to help plan your visit.
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 Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
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
- Is there a current, appropriate operator-led activity at this location?
- Which official access and wildlife guidance applies?
- 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
ReefDarwin Offshore & Artificial Reefs
Roche Reef
Dundee's main natural reef – extensive shallow coral with queenfish, mackerel and trevally sweeping over it on the tide.
Details need confirmationWreckDarwin Harbour
Sandbar Barge
A small upright barge near Cullen Bay that punches above its weight for snapper, jewfish and cod.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieEast Arnhem Land & Gove
Sir Roderick Rocks
Spectacular granite rocks with caves and swim-throughs and a deep, intact trawler wreck – Gove's most remote dive.
Details need confirmationWallDarwin Harbour
The Ridge (Darwin)
A deep rock wall at 33-40 m with huge gorgonian fans and schools of sweetlip and trevally.
Details need confirmationAircraft WreckDarwin Harbour
US Navy Catalina No.4/8 (Catalina 5)
A US Navy PBY burned and sunk in the 1942 raids; wings collapsed by the fuel fire.
Details need confirmationAircraft WreckDarwin Harbour
US Navy Catalina No.41 (Catalina 4)
Remains of a US Navy Patrol Wing 10 flying boat burned and sunk in the Japanese attacks on Darwin.
Details need confirmationIslandEast Arnhem Land & Gove
Veronica Island
Sea walls of soft coral and gorgonians patrolled by pelagics, with good invertebrate life for macro divers.
Details need confirmationIslandEast Arnhem Land & Gove
Wessel Islands
Remote Arnhem Land island chain famed for fishing and tidal passages, with potential for expedition diving far from anyone else.
Details need confirmationIslandEast Arnhem Land & Gove
Wigram Island
Camping base in the English Company's Islands for expedition-style island and reef diving from Gove.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieGroote Eylandt
Zodiac Rock
A natural rock pinnacle off Groote Eylandt's west coast, reputed to be among the island's best dives.
Details need confirmation