Western Australia
Diving in Rottnest Island
Rottnest, 20 km off Fremantle, has more than 50 dive sites, the most shipwrecks on the WA coast (the Rottnest Wreck Trail and the deep Ships' Graveyard beyond) and coral growing at the southern limit of its range. Limestone caves, swim-throughs and ledges at Crystal Palace, Roe Reef and the Shark Cave are the classics; the West End has seals and pelagics.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Understand the options around Rottnest Island
Connect the island journey with the dive booking
Check whether your chosen product includes transport to the relevant departure point or requires a separate island transfer. Compare baggage and equipment handling before committing to the route, particularly if travelling with your own kit. The site directory helps you research the area, but does not confirm the operator’s itinerary. Make sure your return arrangements work with the actual trip schedule and its stated contingencies.
One useful question: Which transport is included, and what happens to the connection if the dive itinerary changes?
What this regional directory records Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
There are 52 published site records in Rottnest Island. The recorded categories include wreck (18), reef (14), shore/rock platform (14), cave/cavern (4). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Rottnest Island 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 Rottnest Island?
Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 52 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 Rottnest Island 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
WreckRottnest Island
City of York Wreck
Masts, yards, rigging, windlass, anchor, stern and rudder of an 1899 iron barque spread down a shallow reef slope.
ReefRottnest Island
Crystal Palace
Rottnest's signature cavern reef: hundreds of metres of limestone chambers and swim-throughs lit by light shafts and full of…
WreckRottnest Island
Denton Holme Wreck
The standing bow of an 1890 iron barque rising almost to the surface, a spread of cargo and plates, and a shallow cave system on…
WreckRottnest Island
HNLMS K XI Submarine Wreck
A 1924 Dutch colonial submarine, lost for almost 80 years and found in 2025, lying in 38 m with torpedo tubes still visible.
WreckRottnest Island
Janet Wreck
Admiralty anchors, davit and boiler of Fremantle's largest vessel of 1887, plus a small reef cave, a short swim from the Macedon.
WreckRottnest Island
Lady Elizabeth Wreck
Substantial remains of an 1878 composite barque on clean sand in calm, clear water behind Dyer Island, with caves nearby.
WreckRottnest Island
Mira Flores Wreck
Intact stern of an 1886 German barque in a sand hole on Horseshoe Reef, with hull sections scattered through kelp.
WallRottnest Island
Parker Point Drop-off
An easy-to-follow limestone wall with ledges, gutters and protected crayfish in the Parker Point Sanctuary Zone.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
Parker Point Snorkel Trail
Snorkel trail with seabed plaques over the southernmost pocillopora coral reef, in a sanctuary zone 5 km from the ferry.
ReefRottnest Island
Roe Reef
Limestone arches, caverns and maze-like swim-throughs at 10-15 m, a short run from Thomson Bay and sheltered from the south-west…
WreckRottnest Island
Rottnest Wreck Trail
Thirteen historic wrecks linked by plaques and plinths, with two easy snorkel wrecks and a land trail from the museum to Bathurst…
WreckRottnest Island
SS Macedon Wreck
The most intact iron wreck at Rottnest: a 63 m 1883 steamer upright on the reef with ribs, gunwales and boiler in 3-7 m, beside…
Cave/CavernRottnest Island
Shark Cave
Protected grey nurse sharks resting in an arc-shaped cave at 24-26 m off the West End - Rottnest's premier shark dive.
WreckRottnest Island
Shark Hopper Barge (Henrietta Rocks)
A 1939 hopper barge sitting partly out of the water a few strokes from the beach - an easy and photogenic wreck snorkel.
WreckRottnest Island
Thornliebank Wreck (Graveyard Site 44)
Standing masts on an 1886 Glasgow-built barque hulk, discovered in 2024 - the shallowest known wreck in the Rottnest graveyard.
WreckRottnest Island
Uribes Wreck
A 1942 schooner filled with sand in 2.5-4 m just metres from the beach - Rottnest's easiest wreck snorkel.
Pinnacle/BommieRottnest Island
10 Metre Spire
An offshore spire with big overhangs and a fish-packed cave, rising to 10 m off the West End.
Cave/CavernRottnest Island
Cathedral Rocks Caverns
Cathedral-like caverns lit by beams through roof windows at the West End, with seals nearby - diveable only a few days a year.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
Duck Rock & Transit Plinth
A genuine walk-in reef dive near the ferry, with caves off the rock and the plinth marking Rottnest's first shipwreck (1842).
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
Fay's Bay
A quiet bay with seagrass and shallow limestone caves and channels, 2 km from the settlement.
WreckRottnest Island
Gem Wreck
The plinth and scant timbers of an 1876 cutter lost with all ten aboard, completing the Transit Reef wreck circuit.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
Geordie Bay
Deeper north-coast snorkelling with limestone caves, octopus and stingrays beside the Geordie Bay settlement.
ReefRottnest Island
Jack's Patch
A linear limestone reef with corals, ledges, swim-throughs and a large cave at 13-17 m off Salmon Point.
WreckRottnest Island
Kiryo Maru I Wreck
Scattered remains of a 1984 Japanese tuna longliner in the white water beside Cathedral Rocks.