Meet the site
Shark Point is the serious shore dive of the Bronte–Coogee Aquatic Reserve, a wave-cut sandstone platform on the northern side of Clovelly Bay that drops quickly into some of the best reef on the Eastern Suburbs coast. From the point a kelp bed slopes off to a first drop at 10 m and a second at 13 m, below which lies a field of rounded boulders with swim-throughs and overhangs that continues out to the sand at 20 m. Everything below 15 m is thick with sponges and sea squirts, and the overhangs hold wobbegongs, cuttlefish and bullseyes. Out on the sand edge the reef keeps going: a wall running south-west along the edge with ledges and indents, a deeper reef section at 26 m, and on the return a series of steep walls at 19 m and a prominent crack that leads back up into the shallows. The fish list is long for a shore site – blue groper, bream, snapper, kingfish, giant boarfish, longfin bannerfish in summer, firefish, roughies, angelsharks and shovelnose rays on the sand – and the reef is one of the better places in Sydney to find eastern blue devilfish under ledges and pygmy pipehorses and weedy seadragons in the weed. A grey nurse shark was seen in 2021 and a seal in 2005, and the odd bronze whaler passes offshore. The point's name comes from the shark-net era rather than any current danger. It is a deep, long dive by shore standards and demands a genuinely calm sea for the entry and, more importantly, the exit; McFadyen's advice that it should never be dived by inexperienced divers without experienced supervision is sound. Strong swimmers and advanced divers with local knowledge get one of Sydney's best shore dives; everyone else should do it with a guide or from a boat.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Shark Point (Clovelly) is recorded as Shore/Rock Platform in Sydney South & Botany Bay. The listed access is shore or boat. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Shark Point (Clovelly) suitable for my certification?
The record lists Advanced Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Shark Point (Clovelly) through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Eastern blue devilfish, weedy seadragon, pygmy pipehorse, blue groper, giant boarfish, longfin bannerfish, angelshark, shovelnose ray, wobbegong, cuttlefish, kingfish, snapper, bream, firefish, roughies, bullseyes, flathead; occasional grey nurse shark, seal
Location
Exposed rock platform forming the northern headland of Clovelly Bay, within the Bronte–Coogee Aquatic Reserve; kelp, drop-offs and a boulder field down to sand at 20 m and a deeper reef edge at 26 m.
Facilities nearby
Street parking, toilets and kiosk at Clovelly Beach (300 m), cafés on Clovelly Road, air at Pro Dive Coogee and Abyss.
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
michaelmcfadyenscuba.infomichaelmcfadyenscuba.infodpi.nsw.gov.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
