Jervis Bay

Jervis Bay is a marine bay on the southeastern coast of New South Wales with calm turquoise water and bright sandy beaches. The bay is framed by forested headlands, and several sheltered inlets provide habitat for marine life.

European navigators charted the bay in 1791 and named it after a British admiral. In 1915, a portion of the coastline was transferred to the federal government to provide the Australian Capital Territory with ocean access.

The Yuin people have inhabited this coastline for thousands of years, calling it Booderee, meaning bay of plenty. Today, traditional place names and shared management practices with Indigenous custodians shape how visitors experience the landscape.

The drive from Sydney takes roughly two hours by car and about three hours from Canberra, with rental cars available at both airports. Several coastal towns offer starting points for beach visits, bushwalks, and boat trips along the shoreline.

Humpback whales pass through the bay during winter and are often visible from shore as they rest during their migration between Antarctica and tropical waters. Bottlenose dolphins reside year-round in the bay and sometimes approach the shallower shoreline areas.