Plantation Point, Vincentia: Jervis Bay bioluminescence & snorkelling
One of the best snorkelling spots in New South Wales, Plantation Point in Vincentia, Jervis Bay, is also somewhere you can occasionally see the bizarre natural phenomenon of bioluminescence.
Plantation Point in Vincentia, New South Wales, is a bushland-covered headland. It is home to a parkland reserve and is famously one of the best places in Jervis Bay for snorkelling.
Where is Plantation Point?
Plantation Point is in Vincentia, Jervis Bay, New South Wales. It is a jutting headland between Nelsons Beach and Barfleur Beach.
Much of Plantation Point is kept as bushland, but the Plantation Point Reserve offers toilet blocks, a playground, picnic tables and public barbecues.
6 Jervis Bay experiences worth booking now
- See the dolphins and lounge above the water on a dolphin cruise with boom netting.
- Explore the beaches, spotting wildlife on the way, with a sea kayaking tour.
- Watch sunset on the beach, then explore the heavens with an astrophysicist on an evening stargazing experience.
- Admire the migrating humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.
- Try cycling on the sand on a Culburra Beach fat-biking tour.
- Discover the lesser-visited hideaways on a hidden secrets cruise.
Snorkelling at Plantation Point, Jervis Bay
The Plantation Point Reserve is in the middle of the headland, surrounded first by trees, then a combination of small beaches and rock platforms. It’s the latter that tend to be of most interest, as you can plunge into the water from them for some of the best snorkelling in Jervis Bay.
The bay is generally well protected from ocean swells, so the water is usually fairly placid. It’s not just humans that like this – marine life enjoys it, too. So, with a snorkel and mask, you can often see a lot of action just below the water’s surface.
Bioluminescence at Plantation Point, Vincentia
The other thing Plantation Point, Vincentia, is known for is bioluminescence.
This rare Jervis Bay bioluminescence phenomenon, sometimes known as ‘sea sparkles’, happens when a chemical reaction makes tiny algae called noctiluca glow.
During the day, the noctiluca grows on the water’s surface, casting a pinkish tinge over the sea. In the evening, it glows like neon. And the darker it is, the more spectacular the effect.
When to see bioluminescence in Jervis Bay?
The problem with the bioluminescence phenomenon is that it is hard to predict when and where it will occur. Jervis Bay sees it every year or so, but not always in the same spot. Plantation Point is one of the more reliable spots in Jervis Bay to see bioluminescence, however.
The Jervis Bay bioluminescence tends to happen more in summer than during other times of the year, but it’s something of a lottery. There’s more chance of seeing after rain when nutrients have been washed off the shore, but in truth, nobody fully understands how, why or when it happens.
More places to swim in Jervis Bay
Blenheim Beach | Callala Beach | Cave Beach | Currarong Beach | Greenfield Beach | Honeymoon Bay | Huskisson Beach | Hyams Beach | Iluka Beach | Long Beach | Moona Moona Creek | Murrays Beach | Nelsons Beach.