Seal Bay (No Diving)

Seal Bay Sea Lion Colony | Kangaroo Island SA

By ScubaDownUnder Team · 2025-05-16

Seal Bay on the south coast of Kangaroo Island is one of the best places in Australia to see endangered Australian sea lions up close, and it is strictly a land-based experience. Swimming is not permitted at Seal Bay: the water in front of the colony is a Restricted Access Zone of the Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park, off limits to the public. There is no snorkel or dive site here.

## Why you cannot get in the water

The Australian sea lion (*Neophoca cinerea*) is found only in Australia and is listed as endangered, with numbers down by more than 60 percent in four decades. Seal Bay is one of South Australia's most important breeding sites for the species, and the marine park zoning reflects that: a Restricted Access Zone closes the water in front of the colony to the public, and a surrounding sanctuary zone protects a key feeding area for mothers and pups.

The sea lions here spend days at sea foraging, then come ashore to rest and nurse their pups. Every disturbance costs an animal energy it needs, and a species that pups only once every 18 months or so recovers slowly from anything.

## Visiting Seal Bay

Seal Bay Conservation Park is about 45 minutes' drive from Kingscote, on Seal Bay Road. It is open 9am to 5pm daily except Christmas Day, with last entry at 4pm, and tickets are sold at the Seal Bay Visitor Centre.

The way in is a 900 metre return boardwalk that winds through the dunes to a series of viewing platforms above the beach. It is wheelchair accessible, and it puts you close enough to watch sea lions sleeping, pups suckling and animals riding the surf back to shore. Ranger-guided walks onto the beach have long been the highlight, but beach access is currently paused to protect the colony, with roaming guides on the boardwalk instead. Check with the visitor centre before you go.

## Where to swim with seals on Kangaroo Island

For an in-water encounter, head to the north coast. [Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari](https://kangarooislandoceansafari.com.au) runs boat-based snorkel trips from Christmas Cove Marina in Penneshaw, where you can swim with wild dolphins or among seals, with wetsuits and snorkelling gear supplied. As with any wild animal encounter, sightings are not guaranteed. The video on this page is their footage.

For Australian sea lions specifically, Baird Bay on the Eyre Peninsula is the place to swim with them legally. Our guide to [sea lions and fur seals in Australia](https://www.scubadownunder.com/blog/sea-lions-and-fur-seals-in-australia) covers every option and how to do it well.

## Sources

- [National Parks and Wildlife Service SA, Seal Bay](https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/experiences/seal-bay) - [Marine Parks SA, Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park](https://www.marineparks.sa.gov.au/find-a-park/kangaroo-island/southern-kangaroo-island) - [Marine Parks SA, Southern Kangaroo Island management plan summary (2012)](https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/docs/marine-park-management-summary-17-southern-kangaroo-island-plan.pdf) - [Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari](https://kangarooislandoceansafari.com.au) - [Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australian Sea Lions](https://www.marineconservation.org.au/australian-sea-lions/)

Header photo: a sea lion and pup at Seal Bay by Didier B (Sam67fr), [CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sea_lion_and_pup_in_Seal_Bay_-_Kangaroo_Island.jpg).