Lacepede Islands

Meet the site

The Lacepede Islands are four low sand cays on a coral reef about 150 km north of Broome, protected as the Lacepede Islands Nature Reserve. They are internationally important for seabirds — brown boobies, lesser frigatebirds and others — and are the largest green turtle rookery in the Kimberley. The Marine Life Network notes the islands, the threatened green turtles, and the historic wreck of the barque Manfred (1879), visible at low tide.

The islands were mined for guano from 1876 to 1884 and used as an anchorage by pearling luggers; divingwawrecks notes undiscovered luggers in the surrounding waters. Reef diving is shallow, on the platform edge, and depends on tide and visibility; turtles are the main attraction underwater.

Kimberley diving context: the Kimberley coast between Broome and Wyndham is one of the least-dived coastlines in Australia. Huge tides (up to 10–11 m), turbid inshore water, saltwater crocodiles around the islands and rivers, and large sharks mean that inshore diving is generally discouraged by experienced local boaters, and expedition cruise ships mostly offer snorkelling or Zodiac excursions rather than scuba. The serious diving is offshore, on atolls and island reefs far from river run-off, visited on a handful of liveaboard departures a year from Broome or Darwin. Medical help is many hours away; divers should be conservative and carry DAN or equivalent evacuation cover.

Planning notes: Open Water certification is recommended and the site is rated intermediate. Expect to spend most of the dive around 6 m, with a maximum of about 15 m. It can only be reached on a multi-day expedition or liveaboard, so it is usually one of several sites dived on the trip and choices are made by the crew on the day. Currents are significant, so timing around the tide is part of the plan. Best season: September–November (calmest window). Traffic: remote/expedition only.

What you might see

Green turtles (major rookery), reef fish, corals, sharks, rays; seabirds (brown booby, lesser frigatebird)

Location

Four sand cays on a coral reef platform about 150 km north of Broome (off the Dampier Peninsula), a nature reserve with major seabird and green turtle rookeries.

Facilities nearby

None – remote; all services on the vessel.