South Australia: Swimming with Australian Sea Lions

Grindal Island

Tuesday 4th February 2025

Another early start (6am). I was so glad I had packed my bag the night before because I had to check out from the hotel and leave my bag there before being picked up by the shuttle and taken to Calypso Star Charters headquarters. This time I was going swimming with Australian Sea Lions...

At HQ, I checked in and bought a couple of souvenirs before we were taken by the crew over to the boat. On the boat, we were again welcomed by our skipper and crew and treated to breakfast, fruit and tea and coffee.

The weather wasn’t as good as the day before so the journey out to sea and Grindal Island was a bit bumpy and wet. For the sake of those wanting wetsuits, the crew sorted the kit out and told everyone to get ready before we left the more sheltered area of Port Lincoln.

It took around 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Grindal Island. Due to regulations in place, we were able to spend 1 hour in the water with the Australian Sea Lions present at the island. A popped my fins, mask and snorkel on, and with GoPro in hand, I slipped into the beautiful blue water and swam towards the sea lions.

The Australian Sea Lion is an endangered species endemic to Australia. They are one of 15 eared seal (more commonly known as sea lions or fur seals) species. The animal family they belong to is Otariidae which translates from Greek to “little ear” – they have tiny ears on the sides of their head. They use their flippers to propel themselves through the water but also to walk on land – I later learnt that they can actually run faster than humans. They eat fish, cephalopods (such as squid and cuttlefish), small sharks (such as the Port Jackson), crustaceans and Little Penguins.

Swimming with these beautiful and curious creatures was such a joy! If you have seen any of my videos from my encounter, you’ll likely hear me either talking to them or laughing. At first, I watched them and then tried to mimic their behaviour, swimming in circles and diving below the surface. Excitingly, they did the same! They were so playful and the more you interacted with them, the more they interacted with you. One kept leaping out of the water while another loved my camera and kept giving it kisses.

After nearly an hour of swimming and playing with the sea lions, we were given our 10-minute warning and told to start thinking about heading back to the boat. I made my way back to the boat and got dry and changed. I started downloading my photos and videos from my camera to look through on the journey back to Port Lincoln. We were served snacks, and thankfully, the journey back wasn’t as bumpy. An hour and a half later, we were back at headquarters and being transported back to hotels.

I had time to get a quick lunch before being picked up and taken to the airport. My flight was delayed but eventually we were boarding, and I was on my way to Adelaide for a few days of exploration.

I had such a great time in Port Lincoln and on my trips with Calypso Star Charters. I had some incredible wildlife encounters and got some amazing photos and videos. Lifelong dreams had been fulfilled!