Piccaninnie Ponds Karst Wetlands

A spring-fed karst wetland near the Victorian border whose groundwater springs reach more than 110 metres deep. It is a Ramsar-listed wetland and a CDAA-rated dive site, but in-water activities have been suspended since an algae outbreak.

Piccaninnie Ponds is a coastal wetland about 32 km south-east of Mount Gambier, close to the Victorian border and the Southern Ocean. Groundwater rises under pressure through the limestone into a series of ponds; the dived part consists of a shallow, plant-filled First Pond, a deep fissure known as the Chasm, and an enclosed white limestone area called the Cathedral.

The main attraction for divers is exceptional water clarity combined with dense aquatic plants growing far below the surface. Diving is limited to CDAA members with the required rating, booked in one-hour slots through the state parks booking system and subject to a park depth limit.

The ponds were listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance in December 2012 and protect several nationally listed fish, crayfish and bird species. A park notice published in July 2024 suspended all diving and snorkelling while aquatic vegetation recovers from a filamentous algae outbreak; the park itself stays open to land-based visitors.

The ponds are fed by groundwater springs; the state environment department describes springs deeper than 110 metres and aquatic plants growing to about 15 metres below the surface in very clear water. The park service attributes the formation of the Chasm and Cathedral to fresh water rising under pressure and dissolving the limestone.

Designated a Ramsar wetland on 2012-12-21 (mainly as waterfowl habitat), meeting five of the nine Ramsar criteria. The state environment department records seven nationally or internationally listed animal species, including Yarra pygmy perch, dwarf galaxias and Glenelg spiny freshwater crayfish, and describes the site as one of the few permanent freshwater wetlands left in the lower South East.

The park service describes visibility as excellent and able to exceed 40 m. A filamentous algae outbreak has degraded vegetation, and the water has been closed to divers and snorkellers since the park notice of July 2024.

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One public dive area within the conservation park (First Pond, the Chasm and the Cathedral). No other entrances are open to divers.