Meet the site
Bluefish Point is the big-animal dive of the Manly boat circuit, a stretch of the outer North Head cliff where the sandstone drops as a true vertical wall from 5 m to 22 m and then breaks into gutters and boulders sloping to sand at 24 m. The wall face is the colour of the site: every ledge and undercut carries sponges, sea tulips, soft corals and bryozoans in yellows, oranges and purples, and the caves at its base hold wobbegongs stacked two and three deep. Diveplanit describes it as 'a colourful vertical wall from 5 m down to 22 m'; the Sydney Dive Charters version emphasises 'a wall which usually has good schooling fish'. Both are right. Schools of yellowtail, silver sweep and pomfret hang along the face, kingfish hunt the gutters, and bull rays and fiddler rays lie on the sand at the base. Giant cuttlefish gather here to breed in late winter and are approachable to within arm's length. Weedy sea dragons live in the kelp on the wall top, and in the cooler months grey nurse sharks from the Bluefish Valley colony next door patrol the deeper gutters. Port Jackson sharks arrive in numbers to mate from July to September. Moray eels, blue groper, octopus and nudibranchs fill the gaps. The site's history is less pretty: until the 1990s the Manly sewage outfall discharged nearby, which is why some older divers still avoid it after rain, but decades of clean water have restored it to one of the best reef dives in the city. Depth and the possibility of current make it an Advanced dive for most operators, though the wall top is shallow enough for guided Open Water divers in calm conditions. Bluefish Point suits photographers of both wide-angle scenery and macro, anyone wanting sharks and cuttlefish without a long boat ride, and it is the standard first dive of a Manly double with North Head sponge gardens second.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Bluefish Point is recorded as Wall in Sydney Northern Beaches. The listed access is boat. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Bluefish Point suitable for my certification?
The record lists Advanced Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Bluefish Point through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Weedy sea dragons, grey nurse sharks (cooler months), giant cuttlefish, Port Jackson sharks, wobbegongs, bull rays, fiddler rays, kingfish, yellowtail, silver sweep, moray eels, blue groper, octopus, nudibranchs, sponges, sea tulips, soft corals
Location
Point on the ocean side of North Head, 1 km south-east of Shelly Beach, where a colourful vertical wall drops from 5 m to 22 m and boulder gutters run out to sand at about 24 m.
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
divesydney.com.ausydneydivecharters.com.ausydneydivecharters.com.audiveplanit.comabyss.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.