Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park

Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park is a protected area of 862ha located in southeastern South Australia near Mount Gambier.DescriptionThe Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park is located in the south-east of South Australia in the gazetted locality of Wye on the continental coastline overlooking Discovery Bay about southeast of the state capital of Adelaide and south-east of the city of Mount Gambier.The conservation park conserves a wetland fed by freshwater springs in a karst landscape.It is close to the border with Victoria and is part of the Discovery Bay to Piccaninnie Ponds Important Bird Area, identified by BirdLife International as being of global significance for several bird species. It is a listed Ramsar site. The park contains a walking track through coastal woodland to a viewing platform overlooking the wetlands.Recreational divingPiccaninnie Ponds is a popular site for both snorkelling and cave diving. In 1964-1965, prior to its proclamation as a conservation park, underwater explorer Valerie Taylor described the ponds as "one of the most beautiful sights in Australia" and said that the crystal clear water gave her a feeling of unhindered flight. It contains three main features of interest to cave divers. The ‘First Pond’ is an open depression about deep with a silt floor and vegetated fringe supporting much aquatic life. The ‘Chasm’ is a sinkhole with a depth of over, and the ‘Cathedral’ is an enclosed area with limestone formations and a depth of about. Underwater visibility is excellent and may exceed. Snorkelling and cave diving at Piccaninnie Ponds is by permit only.