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The world beneath waves is calling you to the best scuba diving sites in Perth!
If you’ve had a squiz at our guide to Perth’s finest snorkelling spots (snorkelling perth), you’ll know we’re absolutely hooked on going underwater. What you might not realise is we’re also big on deep dives—the scuba variety.
Honestly, that’s hardly a shocker, especially if you know Perth inside out. The waters in and near the city are begging to be explored with an oxygen tank, and the deeper they go, the more breathtaking things get, no pun intended.
You’ll know exactly what we mean when you see it. For now, let us guide you to the best scuba diving sites around.
Coogee Maritime Trail
From exclusiv_lea
Address: 44 Socrates Parade, North Coogee
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 38 mins (28.3 km)
We’d never live it down if we didn’t put on our flippers and dive into the award-winning Coogee Maritime Trail.
Our trip was packed to the gills with attractions, including an artificial reef, a starfish sculpture for swim-throughs, and fish—old wives, rough bullseye, and more.
None could top the Omeo Shipwreck, though, which isn’t a shocker since it’s the trail’s centrepiece. Surrounding it are over 55 structures, like a replica cannon, a sea lion, and pyramids!
Tip: Come early for a quiet dive. The later the day goes, the more divers explore this site.
MAAC Dive and Snorkel Trail
From exploreparkswa
Address: 18A Gull St, Marmion
Operating Hours:
- Mon – 12 pm to 6 pm
- Tue – 6:15 am to 6:30 pm
- Wed to Sun – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 22 mins (21.2 km)
You know your mate dove the 400-metre-long MAAC Dive and Snorkel Trail if they can’t stop yapping about it. We did the same; the trail’s sponges, western blue devils, and stingrays were too majestic not to brag about.
It gets extra props for having over 20 plinths on the seafloor, as appreciating its wonders would’ve been hard if we got lost at the 6-metre mark. What’s more, the rocky reef had many octopuses, though they were harder to spot—masters of camouflage indeed.
Tip: Never go alone, especially with a tricky trail like this one. This tip applies to all spots here.
Point Peron
From adrenalinedna
Address: Point Peron Rd
Contact Details: +61 8 9528 0333
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 52 mins (52.1 km)
Website
Point Peron offers wonders to all—newbies, seasoned divers, or that one mate who swears he’s a pro. Rookies and kids can snorkel at the rock pools, while the ‘sea dogs’ can hit the seaward side, a hub for stingrays, crayfish, and the occasional dolphins.
The vets can also pass through numerous caves that are more common at the deeper parts, around 7 metres from the surface. Sights get more striking near and on the seafloor, specifically with the Coralline algae giving the area a dark shade of red.
Tip: You can drive to this site. Even on a packed day, there’s still enough parking space.
Rottnest Island
From bucketlistdiver
Address: Rottnest Island
Drive from the Perth CBD: Around 1 hr and 15 mins (30.7 km)
Website
If Rottnest Island makes a splash in your mind whenever someone yaps about scuba diving, you’re not alone. Thirty minutes from Freo, this vacay hotspot has turquoise waters and limestone reefs most divers can’t pass up.
We specifically love the island’s Parker Point, an 800-metre-long trail famed for having 12 interpretative plaques showing the waters’ flora and fauna.
Little Salmon Bay deserves a mention, too. If you have kids, let them see this shallower site’s pink corals, tropical fish, and limestone outcrops.
Tip: Taking the Rottnest Express is the go-to way to reach the island.
North Mole Barge
From manicpixiedrunkgirl
Address: North Fremantle
Coordinates: 38 n, ON76800, 100.4 x 21.0 x 8.8, B
Drive from the Perth CBD: 36 mins (18.6 km)
What’s not to love about the diver-pulling North Mole Barge? For one, it’s the final resting place of a hopper barge said to have sunk in 1930, and it brims with rays and fingered dragonets.
It’s also not the ‘deepest’ wreck in town, with a max depth of 8.5 metres. In addition, getting to the main wreck is just a straight shot down, though most pros we chatted with still recommended using a rope.
Oh, and we said ‘main wreck’ because there are smaller wrecks nearby. Most reckon they’re from an unidentified vessel but are still worth a look-see.
Tip: Wear sturdy footwear with great traction, as the site must be accessed by going down slippery rocks.
Kwinana Grain Terminal
From nelliejel
Address: 438/835 Rockingham Beach Rd, East Rockingham
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 44 mins (45.4 km)
Have a ripper of a time down at Kwinana Grain Terminal, which is nearly 9 meters deep!
Navigating is a walk in the park: you just have to follow the trail of pylons below the waves, and the time of the day won’t be a big issue. Inland, you can prep at a sprawling car park and access the water via an easy beach entry.
As for what you’ll see below, there are nudibranchs, mussels, and fish, specifically old wives and snappers.
Tip: People usually dive from the jetty, but we don’t recommend it. Ships dock there, so going for a swim is a safer alternative.
Robb’s Jetty
From wondrousblue
Address: North Congee
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 36 mins (27.5 km)
Robb Jetty’s waters are a beauty for open divers or veterans. The depth is about 8 metres, there’s a gentle slope, some pylons that will guide you down there, and visibility is outstanding.
Sounds like something fit for first-timers, right? Well, it can be, though the site being in open waters means there’s boat traffic overhead. Advance buoyancy control is non-negotiable.
Those cut out for it will enjoy stingray, seahorse, and tunicate sightings!
Tips:
- Don’t forget your dive flag, given the boats cruising around.
- Bring something to grill. There are BBQ grills here.
Marmion Marine Park
From da_iwanz
Address: Marmion
Contact Details: +61 8 9303 7700
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 24 mins (19.7 km)
Website
Marmion Marine Park pulls in about 1.75 million tourists yearly. The state’s first marine park is jaw-dropping, including its dive sites.
Rookies can explore the 2–6 metre areas, like Mettams Pool. There, they can spot morwong, bream, or bullseyes without going full Aquaman.
Meanwhile, the more skilled bunch can venture deeper, about 32–40 metres from the surface. That’s not Atlantis-level, but the sights come close—caves, ledges, swim-throughs, dhufish, western rock lobsters, and more.
Tip: Bring your kids if you have someone to look after them while you’re underwater. There’s a fenced area inland where the sprogs can play.
HMAS Swan
Address: Dunsborough
Coordinates: S 33° 33.080′. E 115° 05.963′
Drive from the Perth CBD: About 2 – 3 hrs (225 km)
If this were a popularity contest, the decommissioned HMAS Swan would certainly be a front-runner. It’s a 113-metre-long naval destroyer perched in 32 metres of water, with an upper section located in a shallower, 8-metre area.
Unsurprisingly, animals have made this leviathan of a ship their home. Samson fish, blue devil fish, bullseyes, and King George Whiting can all be seen living inside its many rooms, rent-free.
Tip: September to May is probably the best time to explore the wreck, as the period offers the most favourable conditions.
Busselton Jetty
From busseltonjettyinc
Address: 17 Foreshore Parade
Contact Details: +61 8 9754 0900
Operating Hours: Daily – 8:30 am to 5 pm
Drive from the Perth CBD: 2 hr 25 min (225.2 km)
Website
Getting to Busselton Jetty is a schlep, but the home of Australia’s largest artificial reef is worth the drive. The sheer number of species alone should be enough to convince you—over 300 variants of corals, fish, invertebrates, and sponges.
At about 8 metres, you can also browse through a submerged art gallery, showing off 13 Western Australian-made sculptures. Eye-catching sums them up perfectly, especially Ophelia the Octopus and The Bronze Mermaid!
Tip: Download the map of the Underwater Sculpture Park for safer underwater exploration.
Boyinaboat Reef
From waparkswildlife
Address: Corsaire Helicopters, Hillarys
Contact Details: +61 8 9303 7700
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 28 mins (23.2 km)
Website
You can’t talk about diving sites without giving the 7-metre-deep Boyinaboat Reef a shout. Both salt-tested and fresh-faced divers are keen to scope out its ledges, swim-throughs, carvings, and caves.
Beyond that, it’s one of those educational sites. Hidden throughout the reef are 10 plaques that can fill you in on the area’s treasures, including its limestone formations, seagrass, corals, and fish.
Tip: Bring your boat if you want to explore nearby sites like the Wreck of the Centaur.
Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
From shonaandthesharks
Address: 153 Arcadia Dr, Rockingham
Contact Details: +61 8 9591 1333
Operating Hours: Daily – 9 am to 3 am
Drive from the Perth CBD: 52 mins (53.2 km)
Website
Given our obsession with cavernous reefs and limestone formations, Shoalwater Marine Park was a deadset choice for the team. However, the attractions we truly glued our eyes to were the island’s bottlenose dolphins, playful flippers commonly seen here.
Roughly 9 metres deep, even more marine life came into our view, primarily molluscs, sea stars, and urchins.
Perth’s first purpose-sunk vessel is also down here, sitting at about 18 metres deep. We’re talking about the 400-tonne Saxon Ranger, a sight so special that you need to snag a permit from the Rockingham Visitor Centre just to get a peek.
Tip: Don’t leave your fishing equipment at home. Angling is permitted, and there are plenty to reel in.
Ammo Jetty
From perth_scuba
Address: Woodman Point Beach, Cockburn Rd, Coogee
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 38 mins (31.9 km)
If you’re savvy enough to steer clear of Ammo Jetty’s fishing lines and hooks, you’ll have a pearler of a dive here. Not going beyond the 9-metre depth mark, this is an easy-to-navigate and life-filled site framed by branching corals.
Oh, and you’ll likely bump into some fascinating species, like the cuboid boxfish. Having a good gander at them won’t be an issue since they’re slow swimmers, but be wary; they’ll emit toxins if threatened.
Another attention-hooking critter here is the ‘compressed’ fan-bellied leatherjacket. If there ever was a fish that’s more into floating than swimming, it’s this one.
Tip: Make sure to follow the pylons if you’re a rookie diver.
