| Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park | |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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| Nearest town/city | Donovans |
| Area | 5.43 km² |
| Established | 19 December 1991 |
| Managing authorities | Department for Environment and Heritage |
| Official site | Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park |
Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park is a 543 ha protected area in south-eastern South Australia. It adjoins Discovery Bay on South Australia’s Limestone Coast and conserves a wetland fed by freshwater springs in a karst landscape.[1] It is well known as a site for cave diving and snorkeling. It is 491 km south-east of Adelaide and 30 km south-east of Mount Gambier. 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.[2]
Piccaninnie Ponds contains three main features of interest to divers. The ‘First Pond’ is an open depression about 10 m deep with a silt floor and much aquatic life, the ‘Chasm’ is a sinkhole with a depth of over 100 m, and the ‘Cathedral’ is an enclosed area with limestone formations and a depth of about 35 m.[1] Underwater visibility is excellent and may exceed 40 m. Diving or snorkelling at Piccaninnie Ponds is by permit only.
The park also contains a walking track through coastal woodland to a viewing platform overlooking the wetlands.[3]
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