Meet the site
Pelican is a quiet shore dive on the northern side of the Swansea Channel, the tidal entrance to Lake Macquarie. Grey Nurse Charters describes entry from a disused boat ramp at Pelican Foreshore Park, an outbound leg to about 15 m, and a shallow return, over the site of a former marina where soft sandstone has been sculpted by the current and rocks are encrusted with snowflake coral. They call it an easy, relaxing dive. The current-carved sandstone gives the site more character than its location suggests. Ledges, scoops and undercuts break up the channel bed, and the leftovers of the old marina - pilings, blocks and debris - add hard structure. The snowflake coral, a white soft coral that favours shaded, current-swept rock, gives the rocks a frosted look under a torch. Like the more famous Swansea Bridge and channel drifts nearby, Pelican is a critter dive. Grey Nurse Charters lists flathead, toadfish, moray eels, seahorses, stripeys and rays, and divers can also expect pipefish, anglerfish, nudibranchs, octopus and cuttlefish, along with bream, luderick and whiting over the sand. The key to the site is tide timing: dive at slack water, preferably at the top of the tide, when clean ocean water floods in. Because it is shore-based, shallow for much of the dive and away from the busiest channel traffic, it suits Open Water divers and photographers, and it is an excellent night dive when the tide suits. It is a useful alternative when the bridge is busy or the ocean is too rough.
What you might see
Seahorses, pipefish, anglerfish, flathead, toadfish, moray eels, stripeys, rays, nudibranchs, octopus, cuttlefish, bream, luderick, whiting, snowflake coral
Location
A shore dive from a disused boat ramp at Pelican Foreshore Park on the Swansea Channel, over current-sculpted sandstone and a former marina site to about 15 m.
Facilities nearby
Car park, toilets and picnic areas at Pelican Foreshore Park; air fills and dive shops in Swansea (5 minutes' drive).
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
greynurse.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.