Meet the site
Point Turton is a small fishing town on the northern side of the southern Yorke Peninsula 'foot', and its long jetty is the dive most Adelaide divers fall back on when the south coast is blown out. The Dive Shack rates it a novice site to 6 m whose sheltered location permits year-round diving, and highlights it as an excellent night dive. The jetty runs a long way out over a mix of sand, seagrass and small rocky outcrops, and the Marine Life Society notes that at times there are lots of fish around the outcrops under the jetty. The piles are encrusted with sponges, ascidians and algae that host nudibranchs in good variety. Visitor information lists abalone, crayfish, Port Jackson sharks, stingrays, dumpling squid, slipper lobsters and nudibranchs, and the SDFSA adds blue-ringed octopus – a reminder to look but not touch. After dark the jetty comes alive: pyjama squid and dumpling squid emerge from the sand, gobies and blennies peer from holes, worms and shrimps crawl over the piles, slipper lobsters and octopus hunt, and southern calamari hover in torchlight. It is the kind of site where a slow, patient dive yields more with every visit. Its great virtue is reliability. When south-westerly fronts close Stenhouse Bay, Innes and Troubridge, Point Turton usually remains diveable, making it a staple of lower Yorke Peninsula dive weekends. It suits newly certified divers, night-dive beginners, macro photographers and anyone wanting a relaxed long dive in shallow water. Extended dives into the surrounding bay are possible for those who want to explore beyond the jetty.
What you might see
Pyjama squid, dumpling squid, slipper lobsters, blue-ringed octopus, nudibranchs, gobies, blennies, Port Jackson sharks, stingrays, abalone, southern rock lobster, southern calamari, sponges and ascidians
Location
Long jetty at the small fishing town of Point Turton on the sheltered northern side of the Yorke Peninsula 'foot', facing Hardwicke Bay; a year-round shore and night dive to about 6 m.
Facilities nearby
Parking at the jetty, toilets, boat ramp, caravan park, general store, pub; air fills at Point Turton/Warooka area – check locally (Port Victoria and Edithburgh also have fills).
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
thediveshack.com.ausdfsa.netmarinelife.org.auvisityorkepeninsula.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.