Western Australia
Diving in Albany & Great Southern
Albany has the HMAS Perth, a 133 m destroyer scuttled in King George Sound in 2001, the Cheynes III whale chaser wreck, and the granite islands and kelp reefs of Michaelmas and Breaksea islands with sea lions, leafy seadragons and clear cold water. Bremer Bay and Denmark add more shore and boat sites.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Understand the options around Albany & Great Southern
Western Australia’s directory ranges from Perth and Rottnest to Ningaloo, offshore groups and the south coast. Use those regions as separate planning units. A long list of attractive places can hide a demanding transport schedule, especially when boat departures, equipment collection and onward travel must all connect.
What this regional directory records Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
There are 38 published site records in Albany & Great Southern. The recorded categories include shore/rock platform (11), wreck (8), island (6), reef (6). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Albany & Great Southern site cards to compare recorded access and depth, then open the individual pages for the map accuracy and source notes. Sites grouped in a region are not necessarily close enough to combine in one day.
Research operators in Western Australia →Ask before booking
- Which town is the practical base for this departure?
- What transport and baggage limits apply?
- What is the plan if the departure is delayed?
Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Questions, answered
How do I choose a dive in Albany & Great Southern?
Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 38 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.
When should I visit Albany & Great Southern for diving?
Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.
Can I use these maps to enter or navigate a dive site?
No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.
Regional planning context: Tourism Western Australia — maritime heritage and shipwrecks ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Dive sites in this region
WreckAlbany & Great Southern
Ahwina Tug Wreck (Gull Rock)
A 1936 tug boiler breaking the surface 50 m off a sheltered beach – Albany's easiest wreck snorkel.
WreckAlbany & Great Southern
Cheynes III Wreck
Reputedly the first purpose-sunk dive wreck in the southern hemisphere – a 1943 whale chaser from Australia's last whaling…
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Greens Pool & Elephant Rocks (William Bay)
A turquoise granite-sheltered pool with easy, shallow snorkelling – one of WA's best-known beaches.
WreckAlbany & Great Southern
HMAS Perth Wreck
A 133 m Vietnam-veteran destroyer sitting upright in 35 m with its bridge, gun mount and engine room intact, plus an interpretive…
WreckAlbany & Great Southern
Lady Lyttleton Wreck (Emu Point Channel)
Buried hull, windlass and whaling trypots of an 1867 barque, 15 m off Emu Point.
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Little Boat Harbour Dive Trail (Bremer Bay)
WA's premier leafy seadragon shore dive, with weedy seadragons, cuttlefish and nudibranchs in under 10 m.
WreckAlbany & Great Southern
Athena Wreck (Ledge Point)
Surprisingly substantial timber remains of an 1869 barque and coal hulk, including stem, breast hook and windlass.
WallAlbany & Great Southern
Blue's Canyon (Breaksea Island)
A 300 m granite canyon only 5-6 m wide, lined with sponges and crayfish, with resident wobbegongs and huge blue groper.
IslandAlbany & Great Southern
Breaksea Island
Granite boulders, gutters and caves with gorgonians and plate corals, seals at the NE haul-out, and a sheltered site for most…
SeamountAlbany & Great Southern
Bremer Canyon (orca expeditions)
One of the largest summer killer whale aggregations in the southern hemisphere – viewed from the boat, not in the water.
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Frenchman Bay & Whaling Cove
Clear, sheltered granite coves beside Australia's last whaling station, with buried whaling-era wrecks.
WreckAlbany & Great Southern
Kingfisher Wreck (Princess Royal Harbour)
One of WA's oldest iron wrecks, an 1854 barque partly exposed at low water in Princess Royal Harbour.
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Little Beach & Waterfall Beach (Two Peoples Bay)
Tropical-looking clear water over white sand and granite boulders at one of WA's most beautiful beaches.
WallAlbany & Great Southern
Michaelmas Island Eastern End & Fingers
Big gorgonian fans and black coral on a granite wall, granite fingers to 30 m, and the surge-driven 'Grinding Rock' caves.
ReefAlbany & Great Southern
Michaelmas Reef
Broad, shallow limestone reef with kelp tops and sponge-lined ledges – a macro photographer's site in the middle of the sound.
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Middleton Beach & Ellen Cove
Sheltered town beach with a heritage jetty, pontoon, shark barrier and full facilities.
IslandAlbany & Great Southern
Mistaken Island
Sheltered granite reef beside a little penguin colony, 10 minutes from Albany's town ramp.
IslandAlbany & Great Southern
North Michaelmas Island
Sheltered granite walls and small caves with gorgonians and plate corals, diveable in most winds, next door to the Cheynes III…
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Salmon Holes (Torndirrup)
Dramatic granite and turquoise water in Torndirrup National Park – a flat-day snorkel only.
Pinnacle/BommieAlbany & Great Southern
Sandra's (Dillon Bay, Bremer Bay)
A plate-coral bommie from 18 to 8 m with a field of gorgonian fans, 400 m off Little Boat Harbour.
IslandAlbany & Great Southern
Seal Island (King George Sound)
Sheltered granite reef beside the HMAS Perth with pineapple fish and blue devils – one of Albany's best night dives.
Pinnacle/BommieAlbany & Great Southern
The Cables (Breaksea Island)
Tall granite bommies with large fans and plate corals under Breaksea lighthouse, with resident big blue groper.
Shore/Rock PlatformAlbany & Great Southern
Two Peoples Bay
Easy, uncrowded shore diving on granite reef and seagrass inside a scenic nature reserve, with leafy sea dragons and good night…
Artificial ReefAlbany & Great Southern
Albany Artificial Reef (Ledge Beach – planned)
New artificial reef planned for King George Sound, expected early 2027.
Details need confirmation