Home Bommie (Ulladulla)

Meet the site

Home Bommie is one of the standard Ulladulla boat dives and gets its name from being close to home port. The Marine Life Network describes it as a double-ledged wall of 15–26 m covered in sponges, sea whips and sea tulips, with large boulders, crevices and caves. Dive Adventures Ulladulla lists it at a maximum of 26 m and standard 15–20 m, and promotes the colourful marine life, the caves and occasional seal encounters. Fur seals from the colonies at Montague Island and Jervis Bay sometimes visit Ulladulla's reefs, especially in winter and spring.

The two ledges give the dive a natural structure. The upper ledge at around 15 m has kelp and reef fish, while the lower ledge and the base of the wall hold the best invertebrate growth: sponges in many colours, sea tulips, sea whips and sea squirts. The boulders at the base create crevices and small caves that shelter eastern blue devilfish, wobbegongs and Port Jackson sharks, and morays in holes in the wall. Over the reef there are schools of yellowtail, silver sweep, one-spot pullers and pomfrets, along with red morwong and blue groper.

Because it is close to the harbour, Home Bommie gets dived when other sites cannot be reached, and it suits Open Water divers who can manage an 18–20 m dive with a guide. It is a good introduction to Ulladulla's offshore reefs before tackling the deeper sites. The name is shared with other bommies on the NSW coast, so check you have the Ulladulla one.

What you might see

Sponges, sea whips, sea tulips, sea squirts, eastern blue devilfish, wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, moray eels, yellowtail, silver sweep, pomfrets, red morwong, blue groper, occasional fur seals

Location

Bommie close to Ulladulla Harbour with a double-ledged wall, large boulders, crevices and small caves; 15–26 m.

Facilities nearby

Ulladulla Harbour boat ramp, toilets and parking; air fills at Dive Adventures Ulladulla.