Australia's Giant Cuttlefish Aggregation: Science, Stats and Conservation. Spectacular 4K Underwater

Although they can be found all along the Great Southern Reef, there is a distinct population of over 100,000 Giant Australian Cuttlefish that are only found along 8km in South Australia’s Northern Spencer Gulf. There is a section of rocky reef that provides an important breeding ground for the Giant Australian Cuttlefish (Sepia apama), and it is within and underneath these rocks where the cuttlefish lay their eggs.

Every year SARDI aquatic sciences sends a team out to Pt. Lowly to assess the population of the Giant Australian Cuttlefish. Divers swim 50m transects and count how many cuttlefish are within a meter on each side of the transect to work out the number of animals per square meter. Within each transect they can count up to several hundred cuttlefish.

In May 2023, the State Government has made a ban on cuttlefish fishing in the Upper Spencer Gulf permanent to protect this one-of-a-kind breeding event. Fishers must not target or take any cuttlefish species in the waters north of a line from Northern Spencer Gulf north of the line between Arno Bay and Wallaroo.

This is a much needed win to ensure the highest level of protection for this world-class spectacle. The ban was removed in 2020 by the previous state government but was re-instated temporarily in 2022.

Learn more https://greatsouthernreef.com/cuttlefish