Meet the site
The former HMAS Perth is Western Australia's largest purpose-scuttled dive wreck and, for many temperate-water divers, the best reason to drive to Albany. She was a Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyer built by Defoe Shipbuilding in Bay City, Michigan, laid down in 1962 and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in July 1965. Perth made three deployments to the Vietnam War between 1967 and 1971, firing more than 30,000 five-inch rounds on the gunline and coming under fire from coastal batteries several times; some of that shell damage can still be picked out on the hull. After 34 years of service she was decommissioned in October 1999, gifted to the Western Australian government and scuttled on 24 November 2001 about 500 m south-west of Seal Island in King George Sound.
The ship sits upright on a sand bottom at about 35 m. She is 133 m long and was sunk with far more of her fittings left in place than the earlier HMAS Swan at Dunsborough: the bridge and captain's chair, radar and mast, the forward gun mount, heads and galley areas remain, and the engine room was prepared with full access. The mast was originally left breaking the surface. An interpretive dive trail with plaques leads around the hull, and the local dive shop sells slates showing suggested routes. Most of the superstructure lies between about 10 and 20 m, the main deck around 25 m and the sand at 34-35 m, so a single dive rarely covers the whole ship.
Two decades underwater have produced dense sponge, ascidian, soft-coral and mussel growth over the hull, and the wreck holds schools of yellowtail scad and old wives along with big yellowtail kingfish, samson fish and jewfish, cuttlefish, wobbegong and other carpet sharks. Visibility is modest compared with the outer islands, but on a clear day the scale of the ship is striking. It suits Advanced Open Water divers for the exterior; penetration of the interior, especially the engine room, is for wreck-trained divers only.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
HMAS Perth Wreck is recorded as Wreck in Albany & Great Southern. The listed access is boat (day trip). 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.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
- Overhead environments
- Ask whether the plan stays entirely in open water. A wreck or cave listing is not permission or training to enter.
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 HMAS Perth Wreck suitable for my certification?
The record lists Deep/Advanced + experience. 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 HMAS Perth Wreck 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
Yellowtail kingfish, samson fish, WA jewfish (mulloway), cuttlefish, wobbegong and other carpet sharks, schools of yellowtail scad, old wives, bullseyes, blue groper, leatherjackets, sponges, ascidians, mussels, oysters, scallops, occasional sea lions; humpback and southern right whales in the sound in winter-spring
Location
Purpose-scuttled 133 m guided-missile destroyer lying upright on sand about 500 m south-west of Seal Island, in the south-western part of King George Sound off Albany.
Facilities nearby
Boat departures from the Albany Waterfront marina or Emu Point ramp (toilets, parking, fish-cleaning tables). Air, nitrox and hire gear from South Coast Diving Supplies in Albany.
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
divingwawrecks.comen.wikipedia.orgamazingalbany.com.audivezone.netscubanautics.com.aumarinelife.org.auperthscuba.rezdy.comdivernet.comRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
