Wineglass Bay Whaling Station

Meet the site

Wineglass Bay is Tasmania's most photographed beach, and the shallow reef at the site of the old whaling station offers a secluded snorkel for those who make the walk. The Marine Life Network guide rates it 4 out of 10 as a dive but emphasises the beauty and seclusion of the setting: a kelp garden with reef fish in 2-4 m, and the wreck of the fishing vessel Wenona, lost in 1981.

Whaling was carried out from Wineglass Bay in the 1820s and 1830s, and the curved bay is said to have been named for its shape or, in some tellings, for the colour of the water during whaling. The remains of the station are on shore; under water there is little of historic interest apart from the Wenona's fittings. The kelp and reef shelter wrasse, leatherjackets, salmon and other shallow-water fish, and dolphins are often seen in the bay.

The walk over the saddle from the Wineglass Bay car park takes about an hour each way and is steep, so most visitors bring only a mask, snorkel and fins. For divers with a boat the bay is a pleasant stop on a trip down the peninsula to Lemon Rock and Schouten Island, but the diving itself is limited compared with those sites.

Visibility is often poor after rough weather, and the bay is exposed to easterly swell.

Some context helps set expectations for all Freycinet diving. The peninsula's pink granite continues under water as rounded boulders, cracks and steep faces, and the area sits where the warm East Australian Current meets cooler southern water, so species lists mix typical Tasmanian fish with more northern visitors. Over recent decades warming water and grazing by the long-spined sea urchin, which has spread south from New South Wales, have thinned kelp beds along the east coast, and descriptions written in the 1990s may not match what you find today.

What you might see

Kelp garden, wrasse, leatherjackets, Australian salmon, reef fish; bottlenose and common dolphins in the bay

Location

Shallow reef and kelp at the site of the old whaling station in Wineglass Bay, with the remains of the fishing vessel Wenona (lost 1981).

Facilities nearby

Wineglass Bay car park has toilets and a visitor facility; beach campsite toilet at the southern end (Hazards Beach/Wineglass - verify). Coles Bay: boat ramp, toilets, store, cafes, fuel and accommodation. No air fills - bring cylinders from Launceston, Hobart or elsewhere.