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
Freshwater Lake/RiverPerth
Bicton Baths (Swan River)
Perth's classic river macro and night dive, with seahorses on the pylons and weed at the Point Roe narrows.
ReefNingaloo – Coral Bay
Bill's Bay Coral Gardens
Coral gardens a few fin kicks from Coral Bay's main beach.
ReefPilbara & Dampier
Black Flag
The Mackerel Islands' best dive: caves, ledges and canyons full of fish.
Shore/Rock PlatformMandurah & Peel
Blue Bay (Halls Head)
Mandurah's most accessible reef: swim-throughs and caves close to shore, plus rock pools for children at low tide.
Shore/Rock PlatformEsperance & Recherche Archipelago
Blue Haven Beach (Esperance)
A wind-sheltered granite cove with easy snorkelling close to Esperance.
WallAlbany & Great Southern
Blue's Canyon (Breaksea Island)
A 300 m granite canyon only 5-6 m wide, lined with sponges and crayfish, with resident wobbegongs and huge blue groper.
IslandTurquoise Coast
Boullanger Island & Jurien Bay Lagoon Reefs
Sanctuary-zone limestone ledges and grottos in a calm turquoise lagoon opposite Jurien Bay.
IslandAlbany & Great Southern
Breaksea Island
Granite boulders, gutters and caves with gorgonians and plate corals, seals at the NE haul-out, and a sheltered site for most…
SeamountAlbany & Great Southern
Bremer Canyon (orca expeditions)
One of the largest summer killer whale aggregations in the southern hemisphere – viewed from the boat, not in the water.
ReefPilbara & Dampier
Brewis Reef
Shallow arches and ledges with schooling snapper.
Artificial ReefGeographe Bay & Busselton
Bunbury Artificial Reef
Concrete reef clusters in 17 m off Bunbury that have become a fish magnet since 2013.
ReefNingaloo – Exmouth
Bundegi Reef
The closest reef to Exmouth town, in a sanctuary zone with a kayak trail and boulder corals; turtles and dugong graze the…
Shore/Rock PlatformGeographe Bay & Busselton
Bunker Bay - Shelley Beach
A short swim to a reef-fringed rock with a surprising variety of reef fish at the tip of Cape Naturaliste.
WreckPerth
Camilla Hulk (Naval Base)
Iron framing of an 1834 schooner hulk in snorkelling depth off Challenger Beach, one of the oldest vessels in Perth waters.
Shore/Rock PlatformMargaret River & Augusta
Canal Rocks
Granite sea canals and seaward limestone reefs with a sponge garden and blue groper, with a boat ramp right on site.
IslandPerth
Carnac Island
A sea lion haul-out island 10 km off Fremantle with a sheltered snorkelling bay and caves on its outer reefs.
Shore/Rock PlatformGeographe Bay & Busselton
Castle Rock (Castle Bay)
Granite gutters and overhangs around the Castle Rock landmark - Meelup's most interesting shore snorkel.
Cave/CavernRottnest Island
Cathedral Rocks Caverns
Cathedral-like caverns lit by beams through roof windows at the West End, with seals nearby - diveable only a few days a year.
ReefNingaloo – Exmouth
Central Station
Mantas queuing at a west-side cleaning station.
ReefRowley Shoals
Clerke Aquarium
A calm bommie and staghorn garden inside Clerke.
Cave/CavernRowley Shoals
Clerke Caves
Light shafts through tunnels framed by red gorgonians.
DriftNingaloo – Coral Bay
Coral Bay Manta Ray Swim (Bateman Bay)
Year-round snorkelling with WA's largest manta population, located by spotter plane.
Shore/Rock PlatformMargaret River & Augusta
Cosy Corner
Overhangs full of blue devils, harlequin fish and foxfish on reef platforms close to shore near Augusta.
ReefPerth
Cottesloe Reef
A protected reef system right off Perth's most famous beach, easy to reach by car or train and good for snorkelling on calm…