Meet the site
The Clipper is one of the few graveyard wrecks that Perth technical divers visit with any regularity, and its nickname reflects the graceful lines of the old sailing-ship hull. The UWA Underwater Club lists a 65 m 'Clipper Wreck' among its Ships' Graveyard dives, and WreckSploration, which modelled the site from dive footage, identifies it as Graveyard Site 06, colloquially 'The Clipper', and associates it with the Maranda. The WA Museum graveyard précis lists the Maranda as an iron hulk that had been a three-masted barque, 224.2 by 37.8 by 23.5 feet, scuttled in 1933; the museum database records Site 06 as unidentified, so the identification should be treated as probable rather than certain.
At around 65 m the wreck is well beyond recreational limits. What divers describe is an iron sailing-ship hull sitting on the sand, colonised by sponges and gorgonians and patrolled by schools of pelagic fish. Because so few people have dived it, detailed descriptions of its present layout are scarce.
This is a trimix decompression dive in open ocean with no moorings, suitable only for experienced technical teams with their own boat and support. For those divers it is a rare chance to see a late nineteenth-century merchant sailing ship hull largely intact. Teams planning a dive should obtain positions and current information from those who have surveyed it and plan conservatively: the open-ocean setting, the depth and the distance from help leave no margin for error, and any incident needs evacuation by boat to Fremantle and on to the Fiona Stanley chamber.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
The Clipper (Maranda, Graveyard Site 06) is recorded as Wreck in Rottnest Island. The listed access is boat (day trip). 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.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
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 The Clipper (Maranda, Graveyard Site 06) suitable for my certification?
The record lists Technical (decompression). 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 The Clipper (Maranda, Graveyard Site 06) 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
Pelagic schools, samson fish, yellowtail kingfish, dhufish, sponges and gorgonians
Location
Iron sailing-ship hulk known to divers as 'The Clipper', believed to be the Maranda (scuttled 1933), lying in about 65 m in the Rottnest graveyard.
Facilities nearby
Launch at Fremantle or Woodman Point; mixed-gas fills via Perth technical dive centres.
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
wrecksploration.auuwauc.org.aumuseum.wa.gov.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.