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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Ningaloo Reef location page.
Overview
Ewens Ponds offers a unique freshwater diving experience in South Australia. Known for its exceptional clarity and abundant aquatic plant life, divers can explore a series of three main ponds connected by shallow, flowing channels. The site features intricate limestone formations and a diverse array of freshwater species. Its crystal-clear waters provide excellent visibility.
Briefing note
Permits are required for diving at Ewens Ponds and must be obtained in advance. The site is a popular training location and can experience strong outflow, requiring controlled buoyancy. Entry and exit points are well-defined.
What you'll see
3 species curated- year-roundShort-finned eel
- year-roundFreshwater crayfish
- year-roundGalaxias fish
Sightings evidence
1 record on file- high confidenceShort-finned eel
- Last confirmed
- Apr 2026
- Recent records
- 130 within 10 km
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17–20 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Feb | 17–20 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Mar | 16–19 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Apr | 15–18 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| May | 14–17 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Jun | 13–16 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Jul | 13–16 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Aug | 13–16 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Sep | 14–17 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Oct | 15–18 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Nov | 16–19 °C | 20–40 m | none |
| Dec | 17–20 °C | 20–40 m | none |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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