Are you squidding me? Bumper cuttlefish season for Whyalla

It’s become a global drawcard, attracting divers from around the world, and this year’s cuttlefish season at Whyalla is shaping up to be a ripper.

Whyalla’s famous cuttlefish have turned up droves, with dive operators declaring 2023 a bumper season for globally famous creatures.

The breeding congregation of thousands of giant cuttlefish, which can reach lengths of over a metre and weights in excess of 5kg, near the Spencer Gulf city attracts divers and snorkelers from around the world and has become a major tourism drawcard.

Whyalla Diving Services divemaster Jeppe van Dingenen said there was “an abundance of cuttlefish” at the main viewing site of Stony Point, around 20km from Whyalla.

“You will see cuttlefish as soon as you enter the water,” Mr van Dingenen said.

“Basically at any given moment, if you look around, you’re probably going to see 50 to 100 cuttlefish.”

Giant Australian cuttlefish at Stony Point, near Whyalla. Picture: Carl Charter

He said 2023 had an early start to the season, which was a good sign, and the cuttlefish would usually stay in the area until August.

“Some years it will run until the end of August, some years until the middle, that depends on the year,” Mr van Dingenen said.

“But they will be here in big numbers at least until the end of July.”

Snorkeling with giant Australian cuttlefish. Picture: South Australian Tourism Commission

And in good news for those who feel the cold, Mr van Dingenen said the water at the top of Spencer Gulf was still a relatively warm 16 degrees.

He said equipment hire and guided tours could be arranged in Whyalla, but anyone with their own equipment who was a reasonably confident swimmer could observe the creatures themselves.

“Some people who are experienced snorkelers will still book a guided tour just because they want that extra information Mr van Dingenen said.

The divemaster, who has dived all around the world, said the Whyalla giant cuttlefish congregation was one of the best underwater sights he’d ever seen.

“This is top of the list,” he said.

The cuttlefish, along with the rare leafy seadragons and the world’s only regular great white cage diving operations, have turned the Eyre Peninsula into a globally important underwater tourism site in recent years.