Meet the site
Indian Point is the low headland between Congwong Bay and Henry Head on the northern shore of Botany Bay, and the reef off it is, in McFadyen's words, almost as good as Bare Island a few hundred metres to the west. From Congwong Beach the sand slopes gently out and the reef begins low and running slightly west, but after about 30 m it becomes a substantial near-vertical wall with its top at 9 m or less and sand at more than 15 m at its foot. The edge is perforated by more than thirteen small gutters and cracks running north–south, each a habitat in itself. The sand below the wall is seadragon country, and the reef is one of the more reliable places in the bay for red Indianfish, which give the point its name as much as the local history does. Big-belly seahorses cling to the sponges, Port Jackson sharks lie in the gutters in winter, rays cruise the sand and turtles have been seen. The shallows carry large schools of surgeonfish, yellowtail and seapike, with bream, luderick and thousands of small mosaic leatherjackets; black reef leatherjackets, large blue gropers and cuttlefish work the overhangs. A curiosity is the quantity of lost anchors and old bottles – some from the 1940s or earlier – that litter the reef, more than on any other Sydney dive. As a shore dive it demands a 10–12 minute swim each way from Congwong Beach and is for fit divers who are good on air; from a boat, anchored where the bottom rises from 15 to 9 m, it gives an easy, long dive on the wall. It sits inside Kamay Botany Bay National Park and is quiet compared with Bare Island next door.
What you might see
Common seadragon, red Indianfish, big-belly seahorse, Port Jackson shark (winter), rays, turtle (occasional), blue groper, cuttlefish, surgeonfish, yellowtail, seapike, bream, luderick, mosaic and black reef leatherjackets
Location
Reef edge off the point between Congwong Bay and Henry Head on the northern shore of Botany Bay; sand from Congwong Beach to a near-vertical wall from 9 m down to 15 m+, cut by more than 13 north–south gutters.
Facilities nearby
Snake Pit car park at La Perouse, toilets, cafés and kiosk at the loop; air at Abyss or Sydney Dive Academy.
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
michaelmcfadyenscuba.infomichaelmcfadyenscuba.infoRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.