Meet the site
Port Giles is a long, modern grain-loading jetty built in the 1970s to take bulk carriers, and for years it was one of the best jetty dives on the peninsula precisely because it reaches deeper water than the old nineteenth-century jetties. The structure runs a long way out into Gulf St Vincent, and the bottom slopes from a few metres at the shore to around 13-16 m under the outer section and loading berth. The Dive Shack notes that divers used to plan to reach the midpoint with half a tank, because the swim out is long and the depth steadily increases. The concrete and steel piles are coated in sponges, soft corals, ascidians and hydroids, and the combination of depth and shade attracts more fish than Edithburgh. Boarfish, trevally, magpie and other perch, morwong, bullseyes and yellowtail school through the piles, while eels, seahorses and leafy seadragons have all been recorded. Blue swimmer crabs and cuttlefish are common on the sand. The catch is access. The jetty is an operational Viterra facility, and diving, fishing and snorkelling from the jetty itself have been banned, so the traditional shore entry from the steps at the base is no longer available. The SDFSA now lists boat diving from the Edithburgh ramp as the way in, and even then divers must stay clear whenever ships are alongside or manoeuvring. Consequently Port Giles is now a rarely dived site, visited mainly by locals and club members with their own boats on quiet days. For divers with a boat, it remains a worthwhile deeper alternative to Edithburgh, offering bigger fish, more depth and a different character to the shallow macro jetties. Treat it as an industrial site: be visible, fly a dive flag, and leave immediately if a ship approaches.
What you might see
Boarfish, trevally, magpie perch, morwong, bullseyes, yellowtail scad, eels, seahorses, leafy seadragons, cuttlefish, blue swimmer crabs, sponges and soft corals
Location
Long working grain-loading jetty (built 1970s) at Port Giles, between Wool Bay and Edithburgh; it reaches deeper water (13-16 m) than any other east-coast Yorke jetty.
Facilities nearby
None at the jetty for divers; boat ramp, toilets and air fills at Edithburgh (8 km).
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
sdfsa.netthediveshack.com.aumarinelife.org.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.