Meet the site
The Glaneuse was a French three-masted iron barque of 502 tons, built at La Seyne near Toulon in 1870 and owned at the time of her loss by Bourdes et Fils of Bordeaux. She arrived off Port Phillip Heads on 1 October 1886, failed to obtain a pilot, and during the night drifted stern first in a light south-westerly onto the Point Lonsdale reef, where she was wrecked on 2 October 1886. Her crew were saved. Her name survives on the shore as Glaneuse Reef and in the memory of the town, where her figurehead was displayed for many years.
Underwater there is, in most seasons, nothing. The Scuba Doctor listing is candid: 'All that remains of the hapless Glaneuse below the surface is the exposure of its rusting iron hull from time to time, after storms have removed the layer of sand that normally covers the wreck site.' When a winter blow has scoured the beach, sections of frames and plating appear in 2–6 m in the surf line between Buckley's Cave and the back beach; when the sand returns they vanish again. The reef around the site carries the usual Point Lonsdale ledge fauna – crayfish, abalone, wrasse and sweep – and the listing notes the location among the platform's shore dives from Buckleys Cave.
It is included here because it is a named, protected historic shipwreck on the Scuba Doctor list and one of the five wrecks reachable from the lighthouse car park, not because it is a dive to plan a trip around. The listing says it is rarely dived because its position in the surf line makes it 'uncomfortable and dangerous on all but the rarest of totally calm days', and that is the whole of the advice: check from the cliff whether iron is showing, wait for a flat ebb slack, and treat it as an add-on to a Buckleys Cave or Point Lonsdale Light dive.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Glaneuse is recorded as Wreck in Port Phillip Heads. 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.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
- 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 Glaneuse 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 Glaneuse 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
Southern rock lobster, abalone, bluethroat wrasse, silver sweep, sea stars, kelp
Location
In the surf line on the Point Lonsdale reef 146 m west-south-west of Buckleys Cave and 400 m south-east of the back beach, normally buried in sand.
Facilities nearby
Free car park at Point Lonsdale lighthouse; public toilets by the lighthouse; no showers; cafes and shops in Point Lonsdale village 800 m away; nearest air fills Dive Victoria Group, Queenscliff (5 km).
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.auscubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
