Darwin
42 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Darwin →Northern Territory
Darwin Harbour is Australia's most historic wreck-diving location. The Japanese air raid of 19 February 1942 sank the USAT Meigs, SS Mauna Loa, British Motorist, Zealandia, Kelat and others, and they remain as protected war graves in 15–25 m, along with the Song Saigon refugee boat and a scatter of barges and aircraft. Visibility is low (3–8 m) and the tidal range reaches 8 m, so every dive is planned around slack water on the neap tides.

Custom YouDive mascot art inspired by Northern Territory. An imaginative illustration, not a photograph or map of this destination.
Your bearings, in a minute
Start with the local site mix, explore the map and find people to ask about your trip.
Directory counts describe published records, not bookable trips. Location confidence is shown separately in the map list. How we check information →
Prepared by YouDive editorial with AI assistance. No firsthand visit, equipment test or instructor review is implied.
Independent specialist review: pending. We publish a reviewer’s name, qualifications, date and exact review scope only after the review has actually happened.
Who can contribute and how reviews work →Find your bearings
Compare where the recorded sites sit, then open a site to read its access and source notes. Locations are for orientation, not marine navigation or entry instructions.
42 matching records · 42 with a map location · 0 without a usable position.
Aircraft Wreck · Up to 18 m
Approximate area
Wreck · Up to 16 m
Approximate area
Reef · Up to 32 m
Approximate area
Wreck · Up to 15 m
Approximate area
Wreck · Up to 22 m
Approximate area
Wreck · Up to 20 m
Approximate area
Wreck · Up to 23 m
Approximate area
Aircraft Wreck · Up to 22 m
Approximate area
Aircraft Wreck · 0–5 m
Approximate area
Aircraft Wreck · Up to 16 m
Approximate area
Aircraft Wreck · Up to 12 m
Approximate area
Reef · 12–16 m
Approximate area
The local notebook
Use the actual places attached to the local records to narrow your research. These are recorded nearby towns and areas, not verified departure points or accommodation recommendations.
42 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Darwin →| Local example | Recorded nearby place | Recorded access | Follow the evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort A9-497 | Darwin | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
| Lee Point Culvert Reefs | Darwin | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
| Mandorah Jetty | Darwin | Shore or Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
| The Pinnacle | Darwin | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
Choose the named outing that interests you first. Compare its recorded place and access with your accommodation plans, then obtain the actual meeting address and schedule from the provider. The site links show the underlying depth, location confidence and source notes. Similar town names or map positions do not establish that two outings can be combined in a day.
A closer look at Darwin Harbour
Our Darwin Harbour directory currently includes 42 published site records. The largest recorded category is wreck (23 records). Use the mix below to decide what you would like to read about first.

A visual guide to recorded site types. Counts show coverage, not popularity or current availability.
Source: published YouDive directory records for Darwin Harbour. Bars use the same scale within this graphic; the longest is the largest category, not 100% of the destination.
Start with Beaufort A9-497, Lee Point Culvert Reefs, Mandorah Jetty. These are examples from different recorded categories, not a recommended route or a list of the best sites. Open each record for its sources, map and review notes.
| Site | Recorded type | Access | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort A9-497 | Aircraft Wreck | Boat (day trip) | Maximum recorded: 18 m |
| Lee Point Culvert Reefs Details need confirmation | Artificial Reef | Boat (day trip) | Maximum recorded: 15 m |
| Mandorah Jetty Details need confirmation | Jetty/Pier | Shore or Boat | Depth not recorded |
| The Pinnacle | Pinnacle/Bommie | Boat (day trip) | 5–15 m |
A dot shows a recorded maximum. A line joins the recorded minimum and maximum when both are available. These are site descriptions, not target depths or certification limits.
The table above contains the same depth values. Depth alone cannot establish suitability, and records may require correction. Source: the linked site records.
Use the directory to discover names and ask better questions. Establish who currently offers the particular activity, where it takes place and what participation requirements apply before building a holiday around a stored site record.
A published location may be useful historical or geographic information without describing a trip that can be booked today. Contact a relevant local provider with the site name, your dates and your recent experience. Ask what activities are actually running and which sites may be considered. Keep a clear distinction between a place being listed and an operator agreeing to take you there.
Establish the departure, access permissions, equipment support and current local briefing. Tell the provider which qualifications and equipment you have, rather than assuming a generic beginner or experienced label is enough. If it cannot provide the activity you want, ask about appropriate alternatives and investigate those separately. Avoid making a booking from a map pin or old access description alone.
Before connecting flights, accommodation and other activities to the outing, get the expected timetable and booking terms. Identify who handles changes and what remains unanswered. The useful outcome of early research may be a different activity or a different date. Leave that possibility open while you confirm the practical details with people who operate locally.
Is a relevant operator currently offering this activity?
Treat a directory entry as a starting point.
Which permissions and local briefing apply?
Use current arrangements, not an old pin.
What is confirmed and what may still change?
Keep dependent bookings flexible.
From “that looks lovely” to a plan
Find your starting point, meet the local options and keep your ideas together. You do not need to have the whole trip worked out yet.
Find out how a first course works, compare your options and get comfortable asking questions.
Connect your next outing with useful reading and a conversation about the right training and support.
Explore the professional pathway and prepare better questions for a training centre.
These are learning paths to explore, not prerequisites for every local site. Confirm the actual course, instructor and your readiness with the provider.
These profiles are based in the region or have a sourced link to one of its sites. Shown alphabetically, not as a quality ranking. Ask about the specific trip or course you want.
Listed in this region
Darwin
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Listed in this region
Darwin
The main verified dive operation in the Northern Territory, offering recreational training through professional level alongside technical diving and a large specialty range.
Listed agencies: padi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Start with the place and your questions. Add dates and prices once you have spoken with the people running the trip.
Creates a new trip with this destination, useful reading and starter questions. Saved on this browser; export a backup from My trips.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Harbour records may describe historical sites or past activities. Their presence here does not establish a current visitor service or a suitable place to enter the water. Follow current NT Government crocodile-safety information and discuss any proposed activity with a qualified local provider. Ask whether the named site is part of a currently offered, appropriate itinerary before arranging travel around it.
One useful question: Is there a current operator-led activity at this exact location, and which official guidance and permissions apply?
There are 42 published site records in Darwin Harbour. The recorded categories include wreck (23), aircraft wreck (8), reef (5), artificial reef (2). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Darwin Harbour 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 Northern Territory →Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 42 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.
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.
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: NT Government — Be Crocwise ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Search within Darwin Harbour, or narrow the list to a recorded dive type. Open a site for its map, sources and access notes.
42 matching site records. Listings do not confirm current access or availability.
WreckDarwin Harbour
A complete 1917 three-masted schooner lost with five people in Cyclone Tracy and found by chance in 2003.
WreckDarwin Harbour
Engine-room remains of the tanker that was refuelling USS Peary when the 1942 raid began.
Aircraft WreckDarwin Harbour
An almost intact RAAF Dakota transport that ditched off Mindil Beach in 1946, reached by a heritage mooring and guide line.
WreckDarwin Harbour
A small, upright refugee boat packed with fish, in reach of two other wrecks on the same dive.
WreckDarwin Harbour
Darwin Harbour's oldest known shipwreck - an 1866 Norwegian-built missionary steamer with its boiler standing proud.
WreckDarwin Harbour
An upturned construction barge whose cylinders and beams form a maze of overhangs full of fish.
WreckDarwin Harbour
A modern confiscated fishing boat lying intact on its side, with holds and wheelhouse visible - the shallowest of the complex.
WreckDarwin Harbour
Holds still full of 1942 war cargo - trucks, Bren carriers, a Harley-Davidson and ammunition.
WreckDarwin Harbour
The former Huddart Parker liner and troopship, now the most coral-covered of the 1942 raid wrecks.
WreckDarwin Harbour
The largest ship sunk in the 1942 raid, with a Bren gun carrier in the bow, trucks, railway iron and ammunition dumps still on…
WreckDarwin Harbour
The US destroyer sunk with 88 of her crew in the first raid on Darwin; the harbour's deepest and most solemn WWII dive.
Aircraft WreckDarwin Harbour
An intact RAAF Beaufort bomber with guns and cockpit instruments in place, found by sonar and kept undisturbed.
WreckDarwin Harbour
An upturned Cyclone Tracy trawler draped in gorgonians, a few minutes from the CBD and sheltered from the trade winds.
Aircraft WreckDarwin Harbour
The RAAF's first Catalina, crashed on take-off in 1945 and left on a mangrove mud bank where its engines show at low tide.
Aircraft WreckDarwin Harbour
An RAAF Catalina sunk by an accidental depth-charge explosion in 1945 that killed two airmen; nose section intact.
Aircraft WreckDarwin Harbour
The most intact RAAF Catalina in the harbour, with its bow and cockpit section still recognisable in 10-12 m.
WreckDarwin Harbour
The upturned ferry that disappeared with her skipper during Cyclone Tracy and was found only in 2004.
WreckDarwin Harbour
The club's own upturned barge reef, surrounded by a yacht, work boat and concrete structures, with tame fish.
ReefDarwin Harbour
A wide field of shallow coral bommies with clownfish and long, easy bottom times.
ReefDarwin Harbour
A convenient shallow macro site off East Point Reserve, full of sponges, sea whips and small fish.
WreckDarwin Harbour
An intact, upright steel fishing boat in 14 m with a resident grouper around 1.8 m long.
WreckDarwin Harbour
A relaxed 12 m dive on the remains of an 1881 iron sailing ship turned naval coal hulk, sunk after the 1942 raid.
WreckDarwin Harbour
A Cyclone Tracy ferry lost with three crew, now almost buried in sand but still a magnet for big fish.
WreckDarwin Harbour
Fragments of the munitions ship whose explosion at Stokes Hill Wharf killed 45 people on 19 February 1942.