Every now and then a trip comes together with a group of people with the same obsession. In this case the target species was the majestic leafy seadragon, with side missions to photograph popping up constantly.
Dragons are so much harder to find in the kelp during the day. Strobes bring in the contrast. // Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR 14-30mm at 30mm • 1/125 • f/13 • ISO 800 © Jason Milligan
No Power, No Drinking Water, Just Epic Diving
The south coast of Western Australia has always held that pull. Places like Lucky Bay, Wharton Beach, and Hopetoun feel remote in a way that’s hard to describe until you’re there. Long drives (over eight hours from my place), rough tracks, and that constant feeling that you might have missed the turn a few miles back. But that’s part of it. If it were easy, it wouldn’t feel the same.
Double eye contact stare down. // Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm at 30mm • 1/125 • f/9 • ISO 200 © Jason Milligan
Lucky Bay is famous for the whitest squeaky sand, crystal clear blue water, and kangaroos on the beach. This was our base for the trip. No power, no drinking water, but you walk right down from camp to the dive site. This trip meant loading the car with dive gear, camera equipment, swag or tent, and everything else needed to be self-sufficient for a few days. It’s not a light exercise, especially when you’re packing dive tanks to cover eight people for multiple dives a day and the nearest dive shop a few hours round trip. Thirty six tanks loaded into a Landcruiser is not something I thought I would see, but I have now. Let’s not forget you need to bring all your food, water, and some way to charge all your batteries for the nine days.
Whartons Beach was one of the dive sites that wasn’t about seadragons and more about the boulders and huge sponges. Of course I got one of my favorite weedy shots. // Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm at 24.5mm • 1/125 • f/13 • ISO 200 © Jason Milligan
Weather is always the biggest factor on the south coast of Australia with swell and winds always a chance to cancel the trip. We really didn’t score the perfect conditions but the wind and swell did play nice enough to make every day diveable. The day dives were good with a few dragons around, but the night dives were next level. Epic is the only word that comes to mind.
The triple - a dream shot. // Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm at 19.5mm • 1/125 • f/9 • ISO 200 © Jason Milligan
Land Excursions
As much as the focus was underwater, the time spent on land is just as much a part of these trips. The south coast delivers in a different way above the surface. White sand beaches that stretch forever, clear turquoise water, mountain ranges and wildlife that feels uniquely Australian. Kangaroos relaxing on the edge of the beach and visiting each campsite in the afternoon. Flocks of endangered Carnaby black cockatoos moving overhead, their calls carrying across the landscape. Tiny little Honey possums scurrying from flower to flower.
Even the drive in becomes part of the experience, with long stretches of road where you’re more likely to see wildlife than other people. It’s a reminder that these locations aren’t just dive sites, they’re entire ecosystems that need to be treasured and protected.
Carnaby black cockatoos. © Jason Milligan
The Photo Gear
As for gear this trip I packed everything! Drone, action cam, Nikon Z6 II with the 180-600mm for topside wildlife, and of course my Ikelite Underwater Housing and Strobes.
What a pose from this leafy seadragon. // Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm at 30mm • 1/125 • f/13 • ISO 200 © Jason Milligan
For underwater lenses, I packed NIKKOR Z 14–30mm, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm macro, and NIKKOR Z 24-50mm.
Lighting is critical, especially on night dives. The strobes provided consistent, even light with enough power to properly expose subjects while still allowing me to keep the background dark and natural. That balance is key for creating separation without making the image feel artificial.
Great surprise with a weedy seadragon with a clutch of mature eggs. // Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm at 24.5mm • 1/125 • f/13 • ISO 200 © Jason Milligan
Chasing the Dragon
By the end of the trip, there were thousands of images sitting on hard drives waiting to be edited. But instead of rushing home to process them, the only thought was when we could plan to get back down in the water again.
That’s the thing with this part of the coast, and with seadragons in particular, it’s hard to explain why it pulls you back but it does. The challenge of finding them, the conditions, the unpredictability… it all adds up. Trips like this aren’t always easy - the long distance travelled, the conditions, the uncertainty, it all plays a role. But when it comes together, when the water clears, and the animals show up, it reminds you exactly why you put in the effort. For me, this is an obsession and luckily I can share it.
Night dives really did produce with the leafy seadragons. // Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm at 24.5mm • 1/125 • f/13 • ISO 200 © Jason Milligan
Additional Viewing
Shooting Seadragons in Australia with the Nikon Z6 II
Seadragons Underwater Camera Settings and Technique
Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S and Nikon Z6 II Underwater Results
A Budget-Friendly Z-Mount Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3mm
Featured Customers | Jason Milligan Underwater in Australia
Jason Milligan hales from Rockingham, Western Australia. He's been diving for close to two decades and studying underwater photography for over 10 years. In that time he has developed a keen sense of composition, clarity, and it doesn't hurt that his backyard is filled with Australia's most stunning underwater creatures. Follow more of Jason's underwater photography journey on Instagram @millo_hd.
