Palm Beach Jetty (Rockingham)

Meet the site

Palm Beach Jetty is the jetty on the Rockingham foreshore near the yacht club, a few minutes from the Wreck Trail. Local opinion on it is blunt: Howies described it as a new jetty with nothing growing on it and a very silty bottom, with an average visibility of 0.5 m, and advised not to bother. The Marine Life Network describes an old jetty in front of the yacht club, 10–19 m deep, with visibility slightly better than the Wreck Trail but not a great dive. Both descriptions may be accurate at different times, as the jetty has been rebuilt and extended.

What the site offers is depth close to shore in a sheltered bay, with the pylons slowly colonising. Over time pylons in Cockburn Sound develop sponges, ascidians and soft growth that attract nudibranchs, seahorses and small fish, as at Ammo Jetty and KGT, so the jetty may improve as it ages. At present most divers treat it as a curiosity or a place for skills practice.

It is easy to reach, with parking, toilets and cafes nearby, and it is protected from almost all wind except strong northerlies. For a better experience, the Wreck Trail a few hundred metres west or the Kwinana Grain Terminal a short drive north are the obvious alternatives.

The site suits divers who want a quick, sheltered dive close to Rockingham's facilities and who are comfortable in poor visibility. It is not recommended for photography or for divers new to low visibility, and it should not be the main reason for a trip to Rockingham.

What you might see

Small reef fish, developing pylon growth (sponges, ascidians), occasional rays and seahorses

Location

Jetty on the Rockingham foreshore near Palm Beach and the yacht club, a short distance east of the Wreck Trail.

Facilities nearby

Car parks, toilets, showers, cafes and restaurants on the Rockingham foreshore; dive shops in Rockingham.