Meet the site
St Leonards Pier is the best pier dive on the Bellarine Peninsula and one of the top three or four in Port Phillip, a long structure running out from a sheltered west-facing shore into 4-6 m of clear, weedy water. It has the depth that the Portarlington and Geelong piers lack, the shelter from southerlies and westerlies that the Mornington piers lack, and a density of small life that rivals Blairgowrie on a good day. The pylons are heavily grown with sponges, sea squirts, mussels and algae and host seahorses (both short-head and big-belly), nudibranchs in variety, puffers and globefish, old wives, wrasse, leatherjackets and blennies, while the sand and seagrass beneath hold common stargazers buried to the eyes, stingarees, fiddler rays, smooth stingrays and sea stars. At night it becomes one of the state's better critter dives, with octopus, giant Australian cuttlefish, southern bobtail squid and calamari all regular. On the northern side of the pier the wooden ribs of an unidentified wreck, thought to date from the 1850s, protrude from the sand and give the dive a historical footnote. A 2020 council warning about deteriorating concrete on the underside of the pier prohibits swimming or diving directly beneath the piles, so the dive is now run alongside the structure, which changes little in practice. Fishing pressure is heavy and line is everywhere, so a cutter is essential. With free parking, a lit pier, a park with BBQs beside it and Queenscliff and Geelong dive shops within half an hour, it is the Bellarine's default training, night and macro dive, and worth the drive from Melbourne in its own right.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
St Leonards Pier is recorded as Jetty/Pier in Geelong & Bellarine. The listed access is shore. 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.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
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 St Leonards Pier suitable for my certification?
The record lists 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 St Leonards Pier 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
Seahorses (short-head and big-belly), nudibranchs, common stargazers, puffers and globefish, old wives, wrasse, leatherjackets, blennies, stingarees, fiddler rays, smooth stingrays, sea stars, octopus, giant Australian cuttlefish, southern bobtail squid and calamari at night
Location
Long pier off The Esplanade at St Leonards on the Bellarine's Port Phillip coast, north of Queenscliff and Swan Bay, with the wooden ribs of an unidentified 1850s wreck on its northern side (beach marker 24B).
Facilities nearby
Free car park off The Esplanade; public toilets; Harvey Park BBQs and playground; general store and cafes in St Leonards; nearest air fills Dive Victoria Group (Queenscliff) or Bay City Scuba (Geelong)
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.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.