Meet the site
Sealers Cove is the big sweep of beach and swamp on the eastern Prom that George Bass named in 1798 for the sealers already working from it, and it is the first day's destination on the Prom's classic eastern circuit walk. Scuba Doctor lists it as a 2–15 m reef dive suitable for scuba from a boat and snorkelling from the shore, on the fringing reef along the southern bay: small boulders gently sloping down to a sandy bottom, bordered by forested headlands. It is an easy, pretty dive rather than a dramatic one. The southern shore's granite boulders are modest in size and carpeted in kelp and mixed algae, with attractive marine invertebrate growths in the crevices – sponges, ascidians, feather stars, anemones and nudibranchs – and the site is known for large populations of boarfish and leatherjackets, with wrasse, old wives, morwong, sweep and zebrafish alongside, bullseyes in the shade and Port Jackson sharks and stingarees on the sand. Seagrass in the cove's shallows holds pipefish, cuttlefish and juvenile fish. The 2 km beach and the creek from Sealers Swamp mean the cove silts easily in bad weather and needs a few settled days to clear; on those days visibility is good and the southern corner, sheltered from the south-westerly, is calm. Walkers snorkel it from the southern end of the beach; scuba divers come by boat from Port Welshpool, for whom it is the first site on the eastern run and a natural warm-up or last dive before heading home. It suits beginners and snorkellers and anyone wanting a gentle, fish-rich dive in a spectacular setting; within the marine national park, no take.
What you might see
Boarfish, leatherjackets, wrasse, old wives, morwong, sweep, zebrafish, bullseyes, Port Jackson sharks, stingarees, sponges, ascidians, feather stars, nudibranchs, pipefish, cuttlefish, kelp and seagrass
Location
Large east-facing cove on the eastern side of Wilsons Promontory with a 2 km beach backed by Sealers Swamp; the dive is on the fringing reef along the southern side of the bay.
Facilities nearby
Sealers Cove walkers' campsite (pit toilets); anchorage; No air fills at Tidal River or Port Welshpool; the nearest compressor is roughly 100 km away (Melbourne's south-east or Inverloch/Leongatha area by arrangement) – bring all cylinders or a portable compressor
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
scubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.