South Australia’s best wildlife experiences

Looking for a road trip with a difference? Jump in the car and head for some of the country's most exciting animal encounters

STORY & IMAGES COURTESY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA TOURISM

In South Australia, unique Australian wildlife is abundant. Thanks to Australia’s island isolation, so much of our wildlife can’t be found anywhere else in the world and with expanses of untamed wilderness right here, South Australia is one of the best places to get up close. From swimming with Australian Sea Lions to shark cage diving, having lunch with a kangaroo or taking selfies with a koala, here’s our wildlife lover’s guide to South Australia.

SHARKS

Great White Shark

The turquoise waters off the Eyre Peninsula are the only place in Australia you can (safely) dive into the deep with Great White Sharks. The most iconic shark species in the world, Great Whites can grow up to seven metres long, and reach speeds of up to 32kph, making for unforgettable encounters from the safety of an impenetrable steel cage.

In fact, it was in South Australia that the very first shark cage expedition took place when shark attack survivorturned-researcher Rodney Fox was recruited in 1976 by the producers of Jaws to use his custom-built cage to film live footage for the movie. Now, the pristine waters off the coast of Port Lincoln are one of only two places in the world where you can shark cage dive with Great Whites. Wildlife lovers will appreciate that each operator is eco-certified.

WHALES

Southern Right Whales

A real-life David Attenborough documentary from June to September, the annual migration of Southern Right Whales along the South Australian coastline is a nature show of epic proportions. South Australia’s waters offer some of the best whale viewing opportunities in the world, and some of the most unique experiences to get up close with these gentle giants of the deep.

On the Eyre Peninsula, take a boat tour through a whale nursery with EP Cruises and spot newly-born calves learn how to swim and breach, or take to the sky for a bird’s eye view of these majestic marine mammals with Chinta Air. At the Head of Bight, a protected marine park, these waters are a safe haven for over a hundred Southern Right Whales to give birth and raise their calves every year. Stroll along the purpose-built boardwalk to get so close you’ll hear their blowhole take deep breaths. The waters along the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island welcome whales on their annual migration.

SEA LIONS

The waters around the Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island also play host to one of the most unique swimming lessons, and sea lions are the instructor. Quite possibly the ocean’s most charismatic residents and often referred to as the puppies of the sea, swimming with these playful pups makes for unforgettable underwater encounters. Swim with Australian Sea Lions just off Port Lincoln or head west to Baird Bay where the waters are a little more protected.

Kangaroo Island is also home to a colony of endangered Australian Sea Lions, who can be found lounging at the aptly named Seal Bay. Here, you can watch sea lions in their natural habitat from a 900-metre-long wheelchair accessible boardwalk, meandering through the dunes to impressive coastal lookouts or get even closer with a guided beach tour. Afterwards, join them in their watery playground on a sea lion swimming tour with Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari or KI Marine Adventures.

KANGAROOS

From the wilds of the outback to the sandy shores of the coast, you won’t have to roam far for a close encounter with this Australian icon. Kangaroos are so prolific in South Australia that they have even been spotted bounding down city streets in Adelaide – seriously. You’ll find skippy hopping wild through rolling vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley and the Barossa, beachside on the Yorke and Fleurieu peninsulas, along the banks of the Murray River…and just about everywhere in between. Further afield, the Flinders Ranges provides some of the best opportunities for kangaroo and wildlife spotting. Explore Rawnsley Park Station, Arkaroola and Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park for guaranteed kangaroo encounters and a chance to spot the elusive Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby. Always dreamed of hand feeding kangaroos? Head to Cleland Wildlife Park, Gorge Wildlife Park or Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary in the Adelaide Hills, Urimbirra on the Fleurieu Peninsula or Mikkira Station on the Eyre Peninsula (private tours only).

Kangaroo

DOLPHINS

Always dreamt of swimming with wild dolphins? A bucket list item for many wildlife lovers, joining these curious and incredibly intelligent mammals in their natural environment is a once-ina-lifetime experience. Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures offers charters from Kingscote and Emu Bay to remote coastal beaches where you can swim with wild Bottlenose dolphins and frolic with seals. Or just minutes from Adelaide, sail from Glenelg beach on a catamaran with Temptation Sailing, which offers dolphin viewing and swimming experiences. Thousands of common and bottlenose dolphins call the Gulf St Vincent home, so sightings are virtually guaranteed. A short drive away, you can also kayak in Port Adelaide’s Dolphin Sanctuary. With a 10,000-year-old mangrove forest, this river system is home to around 40 resident bottlenose dolphins, while another 400 transient dolphins also frequent the river to feed, play and nurse their young.

Dolphins

CUTTLEFISH

Cuttlefish

The Eyre Peninsula is also home to one of the most weird and wonderful animal encounters. The annual migration of Giant Australian Cuttlefish is one of the most spectacular events under the water – and is unique to South Australia. Between May and August, cuttlefish gather in their thousands to mate and spawn. Weighing up to 10kg and known as the chameleons of the sea, cuttlefish change their colours and patterns wildly as they swim around, making for a kaleidoscopic spectacular that draws snorkelers and divers each year.

BIRDLIFE

South Australia is a haven for birds, and avid twitchers (that’s serious birdwatchers for the uninitiated) will tell you our backyard is one of the best places to spot rare species. With a vast and varied landscape, almost 500 different bird species thrive across a dramatic array of habitats including woodlands, bush, coast, desert and wetlands. A walk through one of South Australia’s best national parks will reward eagle-eyed twitchers, a trip to the outback comes paired with guaranteed Wedge-tailed Eagle sightings, while just minutes from the city you can spot species from all over the world at the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary. Each year, more than 27,000 birds stop at this coastal wetland to rest and feed on their annual migration from countries as far as Alaska and Siberia.

For coastal bird species, head for Coorong National Park and Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, while the banks of the Murray River offer some of the best waterbird watching opportunities with over 200 species in the area.

Wedge-tailed Eagle