Rottnest Island (Thomson Bay settlement)
51 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Rottnest Island (Thomson Bay settlement) →Western Australia
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.

Custom YouDive mascot art inspired by Western Australia. 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.
52 matching records · 52 with a map location · 0 without a usable position.
Pinnacle/Bommie · 10–27 m
Recorded location
Reef · 20–32 m
Recorded location
Cave/Cavern · 2–18 m
Approximate area
Reef · 15–26 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 3–10 m
Recorded location
Reef · 8–18 m
Recorded location
Wreck · 1–7 m
Recorded location
Shore/Rock Platform · 2–6 m
Recorded location
Shore/Rock Platform · 0.5–5 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 1–10 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 3–6 m
Recorded location
Shore/Rock Platform · 1–8 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.
51 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Rottnest Island (Thomson Bay settlement) →1 site record refers to this town or area.
Look for operators around Fremantle →| Local example | Recorded nearby place | Recorded access | Follow the evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral Rocks Caverns | Rottnest Island (Thomson Bay settlement) | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
| 10 Metre Spire | Rottnest Island (Thomson Bay settlement) | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
| 20 Metre Ridge | Rottnest Island (Thomson Bay settlement) | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
| Duck Rock & Transit Plinth | Rottnest Island (Thomson Bay settlement) | Shore or Boat | 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 Rottnest Island
Our Rottnest Island directory currently includes 52 published site records. The largest recorded category is wreck (18 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 Rottnest Island. Bars use the same scale within this graphic; the longest is the largest category, not 100% of the destination.
Start with Cathedral Rocks Caverns, 10 Metre Spire, 20 Metre Ridge. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral Rocks Caverns | Cave/Cavern | Boat (day trip) | 2–18 m |
| 10 Metre Spire | Pinnacle/Bommie | Boat (day trip) | 10–27 m |
| 20 Metre Ridge Details need confirmation | Reef | Boat (day trip) | 20–32 m |
| Duck Rock & Transit Plinth | Shore/Rock Platform | Shore or Boat | 2–6 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.
Western Australia is a collection of very different trip ideas. Use a specific region to narrow the search, then make the departure, equipment support and travel arrangements the centre of your plan.
Be clear whether you want certified scuba diving, a course, snorkelling or a wildlife excursion. Similar photographs can advertise different activities. If friends are travelling together, list each person’s intended activity separately and ask whether a shared departure is possible. That makes the quote easier to compare and helps avoid booking a memorable-looking trip that does not include the experience you wanted.
A ferry, accommodation booking and dive trip may need separate reservations. Check how their meeting and return times fit together and which operator supplies each part. For a coastal road trip, anchor the diving around one confirmed base at a time. A broad region name is a browsing label, not a transfer estimate or a promise of equipment support in every town.
Ask about hire sizes, guiding, gas and equipment services relevant to your actual plans. Record the response and its date rather than assuming a service from a business name. Keep an alternative activity in the itinerary and understand the terms for a changed departure. Buying flexibility in the travel plan can be more useful than collecting extra site names.
Do the passenger transfer and dive booking connect?
Check each supplier’s timetable.
Which town supports the actual outing?
Build transport around the meeting point.
Is this scuba, snorkelling or sightseeing?
Compare the right activity and inclusions.
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.
Source-linked to a site in this region
Fremantle
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Source-linked to a site in this region
Welshpool
A Perth business providing training, equipment and service support.
Listed agencies: tdi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Source-linked to a site in this region
Hillarys
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Listed in this region
Rottnest Island
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
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
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?
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 →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 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.
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: 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.
Search within Rottnest Island, or narrow the list to a recorded dive type. Open a site for its map, sources and access notes.
52 matching site records. Listings do not confirm current access or availability.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
Calm, shallow seagrass maze in the Armstrong Bay Sanctuary Zone - an easy north-coast snorkel.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A tiny, calm, shallow bay with coral gardens, starfish and stingrays - ideal for young children.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A sheltered south-coast lagoon with coral bommies in a few metres of water and a snorkel trail, diveable in most winds.
WreckRottnest Island
A seldom-visited 1983 crane barge used for SAS demolition training, in clear 11 m water off Bickley Point.
ReefRottnest Island
A narrow limestone ravine 8 m deep, lit by shafts of sunlight, cutting through an offshore mound at 18-26 m.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A wide, sheltered beach with an undulating coral reef beside the Bathurst Lighthouse, ten minutes from the ferry.
WreckRottnest Island
A hunt through kelp for the ballast stones and sheathing of an 1891 barque lost under a drunken skipper.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
Remote, secluded lagoons behind rocks with turtles, octopus and stingrays - best on northerly mornings.
WreckRottnest Island
Dozens of deliberately scuttled vessels, mostly unseen, in 46-200 m - Perth's frontier for technical wreck exploration.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A broad south-coast bay with shallow coral ledges and schools of bream, excellent in easterly winds.
WreckRottnest Island
A lone boiler, shaft and propeller of unknown origin in clear 26 m water off Salmon Bay.
Cave/CavernRottnest Island
A crater-shaped reef with a huge light-shafted cave and multiple swim-throughs - Rottnest's most unusual formation.
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A reef-ringed natural pool of clear, shallow water 20 minutes' walk from the ferry - Rottnest's easiest snorkel.
WreckRottnest Island
A deep, intact iron sailing-ship hull in 65 m, the best known of the Rottnest graveyard wrecks among Perth tech divers.
ReefRottnest Island
Deep, current-swept spires and fissures at the far end of Rottnest with big fish, sharks and passing whales.
ReefRottnest Island
A deep offshore ridge at 20-32 m north of Rottnest for experienced divers seeking bigger fish and quiet water.
Details need confirmation
ReefRottnest Island
An offbeat reef with thermoclines, odd currents and a reputation for unusual creatures.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A remote West End bay with turquoise water, extensive reef and excellent visibility in a sanctuary zone.
Details need confirmation
ReefRottnest Island
A sanctuary-zone reef where endangered Australian sea lions haul out, with a chance of an in-water encounter.
Details need confirmation
ReefRottnest Island
An isolated reef of ledges, gullies and caves 'packed with marine life', closer to Fremantle than most Rottnest sites.
Details need confirmation
ReefRottnest Island
A less-visited north-east reef with Roe Reef-style ledges and caves and better fish life because of low traffic.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A broad, calm north-coast bay close to the settlement with corals, tropical fish and occasional dolphins.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformRottnest Island
A quiet, clear-water south-coast cove with rocky outcrops away from the crowds.
Details need confirmation
Cave/CavernRottnest Island
A cavern dropping through the reef to 26 m, 'full of marine life', beside the North Point ravine.
Details need confirmation