Sydney & Surrounds

Although situated in the middle of Australia's most populated city, Sydney Harbour is a truly remarkable haven for wildlife and is home to many different species.

Our Sydney Harbour exhibits highlight many of the fishes and invertebrates one might see while snorkelling or diving in this beautiful harbour. Many of the fishes are so spectacularly coloured, they can easily be mistaken for tropical reef species.

Sydney Harbour is as beautiful below the surface as it is above. A surprising variety of fish can be found here and many are on display at Sydney Aquarium.

Because of the strong east Australian current which runs down along the coast from the north, Sydney Harbour is also home to many stray visitors that get swept down, usually as eggs or tiny babies, from the tropics. These eggs and young fish arrive in early summer and settle here while the water is still warm, so that by autumn a variety of tropical fish normally associated with the Great Barrier Reef can be seen in Sydney Harbour. Although some of these are able to live all year round, while not being able to reproduce, unfortunately many others succumb to the cold when water temperatures drop at the onset of winter.

The displays within our exhibits simulate a variety of different habitats found within Sydney Harbour, from the intertidal surge zone to deeper reefs, with one exhibit even featuring the fishes one would find living under a man-made pier.