Meet the site
Barwon Bluff North is the river-facing side of the Bluff, the half of the Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary that is built of basalt and washed by the outflow of the Barwon River. It is entered from the rock shelf below the larger of the two Bluff Road car parks and dived east toward the river mouth and out to the tip of Point Flinders, where two pincers of reef enclose a small bay with a floor of sand and rock in 6-9 m. That bay is the destination: sheltered from the worst of the swell, ringed by ledges and kelp, it concentrates the fish. The Scuba Doctor lists Western blue groper (the sanctuary is one of the few places near Melbourne where these big wrasse can be relied on), horseshoe and six-spined leatherjackets, magpie perch, boarfish, herring cale, zebrafish, Port Jackson sharks resting under the ledges, smooth stingrays and giant rays on the sand, and a dense invertebrate cover of sea slugs, feather stars, sea tulips and sponges under the crayweed, bull kelp and giant kelp that forest the reef. The basalt on this side is blockier and less sculpted than the sandstone of the southern side, but the kelp is as thick and the shelter is better; in a south-westerly swell this is the side to dive, though it is also the first to go brown when the river is running after rain. About 700 m offshore lie the remains of the SS Orungal, the coastal steamer wrecked on Formby Reef in 1940, which is a separate boat dive. The entry over the shelf demands attention to the swell, and the Scuba Doctor's advice to walk over the crest and look at the sea before gearing up should be taken literally. For divers who have done the bay piers and want their first taste of Victoria's ocean coast with kelp, groper and rays, this is the accessible option, twenty-five minutes from Geelong.
What you might see
Western blue groper, horseshoe and six-spined leatherjackets, magpie perch, boarfish, herring cale, zebrafish, Port Jackson sharks, smooth stingrays, giant rays, sea slugs, feather stars, sea tulips, sponges, crayweed, bull kelp, giant kelp
Location
Northern (Barwon River) side of the Bluff at Barwon Heads, from the rock shelf below the larger Bluff Road car park east toward the river mouth and out to the small bay between the reef pincers at Point Flinders; the SS Orungal wreck lies about 700 m away.
Facilities nearby
Free car park and toilets at the Bluff; cafes and shops in Barwon Heads village; nearest air fills Bay City Scuba or Dive Victoria Group
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
scubadoctor.com.auparks.vic.gov.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.