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Diving the Illawarra: Pig Island
Also known as Bass Islet, Pig Island is another of the Five Islands off Wollongong and Port Kembla. Further offshore than Toothbrush Island, Pig Island actually comprises several distinct dive sites, with the southern side corresponding to the dive site called Pig Island and the northern side sometimes known as Guano Reef . The western side also offers good diving, while The Pinnacle is a another site, 500m east of the island.The Pig Island dive site is the most commonly dived section, with a very interesting sponge gardens in about 18m, dropping down around a wall to 28m. Fish life is often exceptional, with good schools of yellowtail and bullseye common, as are porcupinefish and wrasse of all types. Up shallower, there is diving in weed gardens in 5-10m, with the sighting of weedy seadragons being the reward for the patient diver.
Guano Reef is named for the large quantity of bird droppings on the northern side of the island above the dive site. A different site altogether, this site has a deep sponge gardens in the north east corner coming up to a rocky bottom in 12-19m. I’ve had some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen on this site, and enormous schools of fish make it a power packed dive. Wobbegong and Port Jackson sharks are common, a lot of lobsters can be seen, there are morays under every rock, and we often have huge rays on this place.
Pig Island is good all round diving, offering something for the diver who likes the deeper location, and still being good for novices with good shallower diving available.