Meet the site
Tankerton Jetty is the gateway to French Island, the large, sparsely populated island that fills the middle of Western Port, and The Scuba Doctor lists it as a 3–8 m pier dive on the island's western shore – almost certainly the least-dived pier in Victoria, since reaching it means carrying full scuba gear onto the passenger ferry from Stony Point. It is an operational jetty serving the ferry and various commercial vessels, and the source's advice is entirely about that: stay vigilant around boat traffic, keep clear of working areas, and use a dive flag. Underwater the jetty offers the Western Port channel habitat seen at Stony Point – pylons with hydroids, mussels and sponge growth scoured by the tide, a bottom of sand, shell and seagrass shelving to 8 m, and fish that move with the current: whiting, salmon, trevally, mullet, flathead, squid and rays, with the seagrass beds off the island supporting more life than the mainland shore because French Island is largely national park and its waters are little disturbed. The tidal streams are strong, so it is a slack-water dive of half an hour or so, and visibility is a few metres at best. The appeal is the adventure rather than the reef: a ferry ride across the channel, an island with more koalas than people, and a pier nobody dives, followed by the wait for the boat home. It suits experienced, self-sufficient divers and clubs looking for something different, and it is best treated as a day trip combined with the island's walking tracks. Anyone wanting a rewarding Western Port dive with less logistics should go to Flinders Pier.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Tankerton Jetty, French Island is recorded as Jetty/Pier in Mornington Peninsula. 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.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
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 Tankerton Jetty, French Island 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 Tankerton Jetty, French Island 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
King George whiting, Australian salmon, silver trevally, yellow-eye mullet, sand flathead, southern calamari, rays, hydroids and mussels on pylons, seagrass
Location
Working passenger and freight jetty on the western shore of French Island in Western Port, 4.2 km east-south-east of Stony Point Pier across the western channel.
Facilities nearby
Ferry from Stony Point; general store and toilets at Tankerton; no air fills on French Island – nearest at Frankston.
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.