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
WreckTurquoise Coast
Vergulde Draeck Wreck (Gilt Dragon)
The 1656 VOC shipwreck whose lost survivors prompted the first charts of the Perth coast.
Artificial ReefPerth
Waikiki Beach Artificial Reef Remnants
The last remnants of a playground-style artificial reef, now home to a group of unusually large lionfish.
ReefRottnest Island
West End Reefs
Deep, current-swept spires and fissures at the far end of Rottnest with big fish, sharks and passing whales.
IslandPilbara & Dampier
West Lewis Island
Shallow, easy coral gardens close to Dampier.
ReefBroome & Kimberley
Whale Rock (Broome)
Ledges full of fish a kilometre off Gantheaume Beach.
ReefNingaloo – Exmouth
Whalebone
Overhangs and swim-throughs filled with glassfish.
Shore/Rock PlatformPilbara & Dampier
Withnell Bay
An easy shore dive on the Burrup with turtles and rays.
Shore/Rock PlatformPerth
Woodman Point Groyne
A sheltered boulder-wall dive with a choice of sides for the wind, useful as a second dive after Ammo Jetty or as an easy night…
IslandEsperance & Recherche Archipelago
Woody Island (Recherche Archipelago)
Easy, sheltered harbour dive on the only Recherche island with a ferry, jetty and eco-camp.
Pinnacle/BommieGeographe Bay & Busselton
Wrights Bank
A blue-water pinnacle off Cape Naturaliste with fanning corals and big pelagics - the South West's advanced reef dive.
WreckGeraldton & Abrolhos Islands
Xantho Wreck (Port Gregory)
The wreck site of WA's first coastal steamship, whose conserved engine is displayed in Fremantle.
Shore/Rock PlatformMargaret River & Augusta
Yallingup Lagoon
A reef-protected 1-3 m lagoon beside Yallingup town with stingrays and seagrass - the Capes' easiest snorkel.
WreckPerth
Zedora Wreck
The faint, sand-buried traces of an 1875 cargo ship on the shallow Mewstones Reef, best seen on a snorkel.
WreckGeraldton & Abrolhos Islands
Zeewijk Wreck (Half Moon Reef)
Cannons of the 1727 Zeewijk, whose survivors built the first European boat in Australia.
WreckKalbarri & Shark Bay
Zuytdorp Wreck
The 1712 VOC wreck at the foot of the Zuytdorp Cliffs, whose survivors may have been the first Europeans to live in Australia.
ReefNingaloo – Exmouth
100s and 1000s
Clouds of small reef fish on a shallow, easy Lighthouse Bay mooring.
Details need confirmationReefRottnest Island
20 Metre Ridge
A deep offshore ridge at 20-32 m north of Rottnest for experienced divers seeking bigger fish and quiet water.
Details need confirmationArtificial ReefAlbany & Great Southern
Albany Artificial Reef (Ledge Beach – planned)
New artificial reef planned for King George Sound, expected early 2027.
Details need confirmationWreckAlbany & Great Southern
Arpenteur Wreck (Hassell Beach, Cheyne Bay)
Frames and planking of an 1849 French whaling brigantine, one of the south coast's earliest wrecks.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Back Beach Bommie (Bremer Bay)
A granite bommie with seadragons, groper and colourful sponges, reached from the beach – good at night.
Details need confirmationIslandAlbany & Great Southern
Bald Island
A remote, steep granite nature-reserve island with sea lions and fur seals, rarely dived.
Details need confirmationReefKalbarri & Shark Bay
Bar Flats (Shark Bay)
Shallow coral, tubeworms and sponges with a chance of dugongs.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommiePilbara & Dampier
Bare Rock (Dampier)
Coral outcrops and ledges on a 15–20 m drop-off.
Details need confirmationReefBroome & Kimberley
Battern Rock
Deep reefs around an offshore rock.
Details need confirmation