South Australia's EdithburghText and photos by Don Silcock Jetty 15 X-RAY MAG : 104 : 2021 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Edithburgh Located on the southeastern to become, at tip of the Yorke Peninsula, one point, the third busiest port the small town of Edithburgh in South Australia. is home to what is possibly The specific loca- the absolute best of all the tion was chosen many wonderful jetties of for its sheltered location and prox- South Australia. imity, across the Gulf of St Vincent, Dived on a good day with optimal to the state capi- conditions, “Edith,” as it is known tal Adelaide. But, locally in the SA dive community, is a unbeknownst to stellar dive that ranks highly among the people who the must-do dives in Australia. Plus, planned the jetty, DEPARTMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY / AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / CC BY 3.0 AU if you can get there for a few days was the Great during the week, there is a good Southern Reef and the rich seasonal science-project-like petri dish to dem- chance you will have the place upwellings created by the Leeuwin onstrate to the world what they can (well, underwater, that is) to yourself! and Flinders Currents that feed and do—and the results are truly stunning! Built in 1983, primarily to facilitate nourish its superb biodiversity. the export of locally produced salt For those currents, the structure, First impressions around Australia and over to New shape and location of Edithburgh Yes, I know—first impressions are not Sponges, tunicates and invertebrates cover the pylons (above, top left and previous page) of Edithburgh Zealand, the jetty allowed Edithburgh Jetty have provided an almost perfect always correct, but they do matter Jetty (in aerial view top right); Map showing Australia's ocean currents, gyres and eddies (left) 16 X-RAY MAG : 104 : 2021 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Edithburgh Brilliantly coloured invertebrates cover pylon at Edithburgh Jetty (above); Horned blenny (top right) and definitely create that initial and my thoughts impression. With Edithburgh, your are always that it first impressions will have been may not be the formed by the three-hour-or-so end of the world, drive out of Adelaide, which in but I should be my case has always been vague- able to see it from ly vanilla-like, at best, followed by here. It is neat, a sharp left turn and the journey tidy and safe— down the Yorke Peninsula, with its but if you need to amazingly large and flat expans- eat after 8:00 at es of fertile wheat fields—that is, night, bring your until you realise just how much own food. natural vegetation and animal GOOGLE EARTH habitat must have been cleared The jetty pylons story about what they have seen. to facilitate it all. That said, those Life was hard and tough for the They can’t, of course, but what local farmers work very hard original settlers of Edithburgh and they can do is stand as silent wit- doing what they do—and the probably even harder for the nesses to the fecundity of those world loves our clean and green “blow-ins” who came here to find Great Southern Reef currents and produce, so let’s take that par- work. If those hardwood pylons the rich upwellings they create. ticular discussion off-line. that underpin the jetty could talk, For the wide and low structure of Sponge crab at Edithburgh Jetty Then, one arrives in Edithburgh, they would tell many an interesting the jetty has created an incred- Decorator crab (above); Map of the region with location of Edithburgh and Adelaide (left) 17 X-RAY MAG : 104 : 2021 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Edithburgh Mating pair of pajama squid (above); Leafy seadragon under the jetty at Edithburgh (left); Black angler frogfish (bottom left); Map sketched by the author, showing where critters like frogfish and seahorses were found around Edithburgh Jetty (right) ible infrastructure for the temper- Iconic species Edithburgh is also a great place ate water corals, sponges and While the pylons are indeed to see and photograph decora- ascidians to thrive on an almost spectacular, Edithburgh is also tor crabs (Majoidea) as they are biblical scale—yes, it’s that good! well known as a great place to common under the jetty and When diving Edithburgh Jetty, see some of South Australia’s make great subjects, with their the pylon growth seems rather iconic species—particularly the incredible stuck-on append- sparse initially. Then, from about wonderfully serene and incred- ages. Plus, they will often remain one-third down the 170m length ibly photogenic leafy seadragon motionless when approached, of the jetty, it seems to double (Phycodurus eques) and the convinced they are invisible and then triple in density, as equally photogenic striped pyja- in their special camouflage. those nutrient-rich currents make ma squid (Sepioloidea lineolata). Among the fallen pylons and their impact felt. The leafy seadragons are typi- other debris under the jetty is Studies of the pylons have cally found most often during the also where you will find many identified some 30 sponge spe- day in the large patch of cork- southern blue-ringed octopuses cies, ten types of bryozoan weed to the north of the jetty but (Hapalochlaena maculosa) at aquatic invertebrates, 20 species can also be encountered at the night, as they emerge to feed. of colonial ascidian filter feeders, very end of the jetty. While the nine solitary sea squirt species, pyjama squid are usually buried in Diving the jetty nine tube-building polychaete the sand under the jetty during the In a nutshell: quite straightfor- bristle worms and four species of day, they emerge at night to feed ward. There are excellent stairs barnacles. and, if you are lucky, to mate! on both the northern and south- 18 X-RAY MAG : 104 : 2021 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Edithburgh Blue swimmer crab (above); Leafy seadragon under the jetty (top right); Highly venomous blue-ringed octopus (left) ern sides of the jetty near the and exit on the stairs will be mood shifts as its rays penetrate parking area. So, once you are challenging at best, dangerous under the jetty. Midmorning, geared up, it is a short walk at worst, and underwater vis- together with late afternoon, and an easy entrance. Getting ibility will be greatly reduced as are my personal favourite times out again is the reverse and the bottom is stirred up. to be in the water. But, if you also straightforward, unless the Once in the water, it is time like critters and observing their wind changed while you were to explore, and because of its behaviours, then after dark is underwater. 170m length and 11m width when Edithburgh Jetty really Edithburgh is best dived when on the main section, there is a turns it on. the wind is from the west or large area to do that. Depth Those pyjama squid and blue- southwest, as the jetty’s loca- under the jetty varies from two ringed octopuses that were bur- tion means that it is nicely metres at the stairs to about ten ied in the sand during the day sheltered by the bottom of metres, depending on the tides, are out and highly active at the Yorke Peninsula, and you so you can easily spend a cou- night, as are a tremendous vari- will have excellent conditions. ple of hours underwater. ety of other creatures. That said, Conversely, when the wind be prepared for what could be is from the east or southeast, Night dives a late night, as there is so much don’t bother, as it blows in During the day, the jetty to see, and the shallow depth across the Gulf of St Vincent changes subtly as the sun will probably mean a couple of right onto the jetty. So, entry waxes and wanes, creating hours underwater taking it all in. Edithburgh Jetty 19 X-RAY MAG : 104 : 2021 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Edithburgh Diver under the jetty (above); Pylon covered with invertebrates (right) Logistics the Edithburgh Hotel and the other at The nearest dive shop is in Adelaide, a Troubridge Hotel—but last orders are couple of hours away, so you need to around 7:45 p.m. There is also a deli in arrive in Edithburgh with everything you town which serves snacks and has a rea- need. The local BP service station has sonable number of groceries, but the a compressor, and you can get tanks nearest supermarket is 16km away in refilled. There was a lot of online gossip Yorketown. circulating about the quality of the air, but I spent a week diving the jetty in February Final words and had no problems at all. South Australia has, in my opinion, some Weekends and public holidays mean of the best diving in Australia, and lots of local divers from Adelaide, so there Edithburgh Jetty would have to be in can be queues to get refills, and it also the top five dives in the state. Those means that accommodation can get rich upwellings created by the powerful Downtown Edithburg during rush hour booked out. There is a good caravan park Leeuwin and Flinders Currents have pro- in Edithburgh with permanent cabins, but duced an incredible area of temperate underwater each time you get in.