Bicton Baths (Swan River)

Meet the site

Bicton Baths is Perth's best-known river macro site and a favourite night dive. The river baths and jetty on the Bicton shore, opposite Point Roe, sit at a narrowing of the Swan where tidal flow brings food to a surprising variety of estuarine animals. Depths run from the shallows to about 15 m further out.

The main attraction is seahorses. Western Australian seahorses are found on the weed, jetty pylons and debris, and the nearby wrecks of the ALC40 and the Gay Dragon are among the most reliable places in the river to see them. Nudibranchs, sea anemones, blennies, porcupinefish, bream, yellowtail grunter, gobies, prawns and crabs are also common, and at night octopus and squid hunt along the bank.

The bottom is fine silty mud that is very easily disturbed, so good buoyancy and a slow pace are essential. Visibility changes with the tide, from about 6 m to under 1 m. Currents are nearly always present and strong away from shore, which is the main reason to stay close to the bank.

Bicton Baths suits Open Water divers, macro photographers and night divers, and it is a good introduction to river diving. It is one of the few Perth sites that can be dived when both the northern and southern coasts are blown out.

River temperatures swing more than the ocean: about 22–26 °C in late summer but as low as 13–15 °C in winter, when a 7 mm suit or drysuit makes a long dive more comfortable. Rinse gear well afterwards, as the estuary water is often high in organic matter.

What you might see

West Australian seahorses, nudibranchs, sea anemones, blennies, porcupinefish, black bream, yellowtail grunter, gobies, prawns, crabs, octopus, squid

Location

River bathing area and jetty on the Bicton shore of the Swan River, a popular night and macro dive known for seahorses, in 2–15 m.

Facilities nearby

Foreshore car parks, toilets and picnic areas at Bicton Baths / Quarantine Park. Air fills in Fremantle.