Meet the site
Forty Baskets is the little beach below Dobroyd Head on the North Harbour shore, named for a catch of fish sent to soldiers quarantined at North Head in 1885, and it is the nearest access to the Dobroyd Head reef for shore divers. Diveplanit lists it as a 'shallow shore dive with netted pool and rocky outcrop south of beach', and that is the dive: a netted swimming enclosure whose mesh holds White's seahorses, a seagrass and sand floor at 3–6 m, and, to the south, a rocky outcrop of boulders that drops to a sand line at 8–10 m and continues as the Dobroyd Head reef toward Crater Cove. To the north, 700 m of shore leads to Reef Beach. The VIZ club's Dobroyd Head survey records seahorses near Forty Baskets, juvenile Port Jackson sharks, Australian angelsharks, crested horn sharks, a banded wobbegong, stonefish, moray eels, a juvenile hammer octopus, kingfish schools passing offshore and blue-and-yellow fusiliers among the tropical visitors; sea urchins and sea tulips crowd the boulders. All of that is inside the North Harbour Aquatic Reserve, where nothing may be collected. The limits are severe visibility – 2–3 m with a layer of particles hanging near the bottom, so that the club found compass work unreliable and simply followed the rocks – the Manly ferry passing 'at full power' a few hundred metres off, and the 700 m walk from Beatty Street with gear. Night dives solve the boat problem and improve the animals. Forty Baskets suits patient Open Water divers, night divers and seahorse hunters who want a reserve site nobody else is on; for structure and visibility, Fairlight across the water is easier.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Forty Baskets Beach is recorded as Shore/Rock Platform in Sydney Harbour. The listed access is shore. 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.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- 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 Forty Baskets Beach suitable for my certification?
The record lists 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 Forty Baskets Beach 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
White's seahorses, juvenile Port Jackson sharks, Australian angelsharks, crested horn sharks, wobbegongs, stonefish, moray eels, hammer octopus, kingfish, blue-and-yellow fusiliers (summer), sea tulips, sea urchins
Location
Small netted harbour beach at the foot of Dobroyd Head on the western shore of North Harbour, opposite Manly, with a rocky outcrop south of the beach, seagrass and sand in 3–10 m; seahorses on the net and the start of the Dobroyd Head reef.
Facilities nearby
Small free car park at the end of Beatty Street, toilets and netted pool at the beach, no shops; air fills at Dive Centre Manly.
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
viz.net.audiveplanit.comRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.