Stingray Bay

Meet the site

Stingray Bay – also called Breakwater Bay and, for its shape, The Horseshoe – is the small bay between Pickering Point and the Warrnambool breakwater where the Merri River meets the sea, and it is the heart of the Merri Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary, 29 hectares of no-take water declared in 2002, runs from Thunder Point to Breakwater Rock, and Stingray Bay is its sheltered centre and the best shore dive and snorkel in Warrnambool. From the beach a sandy bottom slopes into a kelp forest that stretches from one side of the bay to the other, with fringing reefs on both flanks that hold swim-throughs, ledges and small caves. On the sand are the stingrays and flathead that give the bay its name; in the kelp and on the reef the Scuba Doctor lists sea sweep, big-belly seahorses, draughtboard sharks, southern eagle rays, calm crayfish sitting out at the front of their ledges, and giant Australian cuttlefish in the caves and weed, and Parks Victoria adds an abundance of the fish and invertebrates typical of this cool-water coast. Bottlenose dolphins and Australian fur seals come into the bay, and little penguins from the Middle Island colony hunt in the sanctuary waters.

Depths of 4–12 m, a sand entry from steps below the car park and a horseshoe shape that keeps navigation simple make this a genuine beginner's dive when conditions allow, and a long, slow one – 50 minutes or more is normal. The sanctuary status shows in the size and tameness of the crayfish and the number of fish. The constraint is the weather: the bay faces south-west, and although it is more sheltered than the points either side it requires very low swell, low tide and offshore winds, and becomes treacherous in any onshore wind. From here the channel between Middle Island and Merri Island, the sanctuary's deepest and richest feature, is a short swim to the west and is recorded separately. Middle Island itself is closed to the public to protect the penguin colony.

What you might see

Stingrays and flathead, southern eagle rays, draughtboard sharks, giant Australian cuttlefish, big-belly seahorses, southern rock lobster, sea sweep, blue-throat wrasse, magpie perch, leatherjackets, bottlenose dolphins, Australian fur seals, little penguins, kelp forest

Location

Sheltered horseshoe bay between Pickering Point and the Warrnambool breakwater, at the mouth of the Merri River, inside the Merri Marine Sanctuary; kelp forest and fringing reef in 4–12 m.

Facilities nearby

Large car parks off Viaduct Road and at the breakwater; toilets and showers at the breakwater and Stingray Bay; Warrnambool Diving (179A Fairy Street) for air fills, gear and guided dives; Pavilion cafe at the breakwater; Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum nearby.