Swimming with the cuttlefish

Usually from late May or early June, cuttlefish season is just around the corner and, I am really eager to see these beautiful creatures.  

Just an hour and a half from Adelaide is Whyalla (the cuttlefish hotspot). Every winter the cuttlefish swim into the bay to breed. Not only is it famed for its beaches, scenery and fish and chips but also its location as the back doorstep into the hustle and bustle of cuttlefish season. The crystal-clear waters allow sightseers the unique opportunity to snorkel and swim with the cuttlefish! Some of you may be thinking, what is a cuttlefish? A cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs and have a unique internal shell. They look quite similar to a squid or an octopus and it blew my mind when I learned that the white chalky shells that I would find washed up on the beach are actually their internal shells!

It will be cold

If I want to get out and see the cuttlefish, I will need to brave the cold. The only safe way to do this is to hire or buy a thick wetsuit that can protect me from the South Australian cold. Whilst they hire out snorkelling and wetsuit equipment at Whyalla, I might have a scout around at some op-shops to see if there are any around. It will definitely take guts and determination to snorkel in the cold waters.

An adventure

Snorkelling with the cuttlefish is something I have wanted to try since I first moved to South Australia. Despite all of the natural beauty around, when it starts to get cold, it can put a real dampener on my mood and motivation to go do something. My drive to have an adventure. After missing cuttlefish season due to covid and just not knowing about it previously, I am going to push myself to see it this year.