AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS
Diving in Western Australia
Explore 434 listed dive sites and find the local knowledge to help plan your visit.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Choose a region before planning a coast-to-coast itinerary
Western Australia’s directory ranges from Perth and Rottnest to Ningaloo, offshore groups and the south coast. Use those regions as separate planning units. A long list of attractive places can hide a demanding transport schedule, especially when boat departures, equipment collection and onward travel must all connect.
Choose the setting, then the trip Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
There are 434 published site records across Western Australia. The recorded categories include reef (125), wreck (95), shore/rock platform (86), island (34). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Start with one of the regional pages below. State-wide totals are useful for browsing, but the actual choice should be made at the level of an operator, a site and a proposed itinerary.
Research operators in Western Australia →Ask before booking
- Which town is the practical base for this departure?
- What transport and baggage limits apply?
- What is the plan if the departure is delayed?
Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Perth and nearby regions
Compare local operators, Rottnest departures and shore records by the actual meeting point. Confirm whether transport is included.
Ningaloo and the north
The Exmouth and Coral Bay pages provide different starting points. Ask which activity and departure you are booking rather than assuming every wildlife experience is a scuba dive.
South coast and offshore groups
Resolve travel, equipment support and departure availability early. An offshore destination in a directory does not establish a regularly available visitor service.
Questions, answered
How do I choose a dive in Western Australia?
Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 434 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.
When should I visit Western Australia for diving?
Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.
Can I use these maps to enter or navigate a dive site?
No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.
Regional planning context: Tourism Western Australia — maritime heritage and shipwrecks ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Find your region
Dive sites to explore
WreckPerth
Stragglers Unidentified Dredge
An upright, sponge-covered bucket dredge on clean sand in 19 m, often with good visibility.
Shore/Rock PlatformGeographe Bay & Busselton
Sugarloaf Rock
A dramatic granite landmark with weedy shallows and deeper reef to 22 m, for experienced divers on rare flat days.
ReefPilbara & Dampier
Sultan's Reef
Coral shallows and a pelagic-patrolled wall.
Cave/CavernRottnest Island
Swirl Reef
A crater-shaped reef with a huge light-shafted cave and multiple swim-throughs - Rottnest's most unusual formation.
Artificial ReefEsperance & Recherche Archipelago
Tanker Jetty Artificial Reef ('The Island')
A no-fishing tyre-module reef at the old Tanker Jetty's end – seadragons, seals and relaxed fish.
ReefNingaloo – Exmouth
Tantabiddi North Reef Break
An ocean gap in North Reef with outer-reef clarity close to Tantabiddi.
ReefNingaloo – Exmouth
Tantabiddi Sanctuary Zone (Staghorns & The Bombies)
Kayak moorings over staghorn thickets and coral heads right beside Tantabiddi ramp.
Shore/Rock PlatformMargaret River & Augusta
The Aquarium (Yallingup)
A granite-sheltered lagoon on the surf coast, reached by a 1.3 km coastal walk - calm, clear snorkelling in a wild setting.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
The Basin
A reef-ringed natural pool of clear, shallow water 20 minutes' walk from the ferry - Rottnest's easiest snorkel.
WallRowley Shoals
The Bat Cave (Clerke Reef)
A gorgonian-covered wall plunging to 50 m.
Pinnacle/BommieAlbany & Great Southern
The Cables (Breaksea Island)
Tall granite bommies with large fans and plate corals under Breaksea lighthouse, with resident big blue groper.
WreckRottnest Island
The Clipper (Maranda, Graveyard Site 06)
A deep, intact iron sailing-ship hull in 65 m, the best known of the Rottnest graveyard wrecks among Perth tech divers.
ReefNingaloo – Exmouth
The Coliseum
An amphitheatre-like hole in the reef with baitfish and predators.
Freshwater Lake/RiverPerth
The Coombe Deep Wrecks (Swan River)
A deep, very dark river dive to two unidentified wrecks in 19–22 m, a genuine test of low-visibility skills.
Freshwater Lake/RiverPerth
The Coombe Shallow Wrecks (Swan River)
A cluster of small timber boat wrecks within easy reach of a grassy kit-up area on the Swan River.
ReefNingaloo – Coral Bay
The Elbow
A manta cleaning station at a bend in the outer reef.
DriftNingaloo – Exmouth
The Gap (Muiron Islands)
A fast tidal drift through the channel between North and South Muiron.
ReefPerth
The Sisters (Warnbro Sound)
Easy, shallow limestone reef with ledges and caves in Warnbro Sound, often visited by resident sea lions.
Jetty/PierPilbara & Dampier
Thevenard Island Pier
An easy macro dive on coral-covered pylons.
ReefPilbara & Dampier
Trap Reef
Crevices and small caves with sharks and rays.
WreckPilbara & Dampier
Tryall Wreck (Tryal Rocks)
Australia's oldest known shipwreck (1622), with cannons and anchors in 6 m.
Shore/Rock PlatformGeraldton & Abrolhos Islands
Turtle Bay (East Wallabi Island)
Pristine shallow coral a short swim from the beach – the Abrolhos's most accessible snorkel via fly-in day tours.
Shore/Rock PlatformEsperance & Recherche Archipelago
Twilight Beach (Esperance)
Clear turquoise water over white sand with granite and an offshore rock – one of Australia's best beaches.
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Two Peoples Bay
Easy, uncrowded shore diving on granite reef and seagrass inside a scenic nature reserve, with leafy sea dragons and good night…