Meet the site
Kanowna Island is the largest of the Anser Group, the cluster of granite islands off the south-western tip of Wilsons Promontory, and it holds a breeding colony of more than 9,000 Australian fur seals with a smaller number of New Zealand fur seals. Scuba Doctor lists three dives around it; this one, on the southern side, is the seal dive. The listing describes it simply: there are so many playful and curious seals that diving with them becomes an exciting and thrilling experience. The underwater terrain is a steep granite slope of boulders and ledges, thickly covered in various kelps in the shallows, forming crevices and gullies that are interesting to explore, and reaching about 25 m before the rock gives way to sand and the bottom falls away to 50 m nearby. In practice the dive happens in the top 20 m, where the light is good and the seals are. Juveniles and females peel off the haul-out rocks in groups, corkscrew around divers, blow bubbles in masks and hang upside down in the kelp watching, and a diver who stays still in a gully will be visited continuously. Below the kelp the granite carries sponge, ascidian and bryozoan cover, with crayfish in the deeper ledges, and the fish are the exposed-reef community of the southern Prom – sweep, butterfly perch, wrasse, morwong and leatherjackets. Visibility is usually excellent. Great white sharks are attracted to the colony, particularly in autumn and winter, and every diver here accepts that. The island is within the Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park, and the seal colony is protected by vessel exclusion zones that expand during the November–January breeding season; the exact distances are stated differently by different sources and must be checked with Parks Victoria before a trip. Combined with the 12 km run from Tidal River or the long passage around from Port Welshpool, that makes Kanowna an expedition dive done by a few club and private boats each year. For those who get there on a calm day it is Victoria's best seal dive – more seals, clearer water and wilder scenery than Seal Rocks or Montague Island.
What you might see
Australian fur seals (9,000+), New Zealand fur seals, kelp forests, sponges and ascidians, southern rock lobster, sweep, butterfly perch, wrasse, morwong, leatherjackets, great white sharks recorded
Location
Southern side of Kanowna Island in the Anser Group, about 3 km south-west of South Point, Wilsons Promontory; site of one of Australia's largest fur seal breeding colonies.
Facilities nearby
Departure from Tidal River beach ramp, Port Welshpool or Sandy Point; No air fills at Tidal River or Port Welshpool; the nearest compressor is roughly 100 km away (Melbourne's south-east or Inverloch/Leongatha area by arrangement) – bring all cylinders or a portable compressor
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
scubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.