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Aquatic wonders & wrecks await at the best snorkelling spots in Perth!
We’re absolutely hooked on snorkelling; we might’ve been fish in our past lives!
Kidding aside, we love snorkelling because this city has many aquatic wonders in store. Close to waters with sunken wrecks, seemingly infinite fish, and ever-stretching reefs, Perth makes it hard not to don flippers and goggles.
Want to dive deep with us? Here are our favourite local snorkelling sites to get you started.
Coogee Maritime Trail
From shevy_hanson
Address: 44 Socrates Parade, North Coogee
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 34 mins (28.3 km)
Better bring an underwater camera at the Coogee Maritime Trail, a true-blue site for aquatic marvels. A new world unfolds the second you get in the water, and it brims with colours from an artificial reef, shoals of fish, cray, and molluscs.
It’s also where you can see the jaw-dropping Omeo steamship, which is submerged at about 2–4 metres, making an easy dive. There’s even an underwater gallery with Dutch cannon replicas and an old railway wheel!
Tip: You can park at Socrates Parade, but space is minimal. Go early.
Mettams Pool
From misslowe13
Address: Mettams Pool
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 17 mins (16 km)
Our kids still can’t stop blabbering about Mettams Pool. The waters there are sheltered and barely go beyond 2 metres in depth, so even rookies will have a blast—with proper guidance, of course.
As our trip revealed, it’s also not just an empty rock pool. We saw an abundance of marine life, like Australian herring, morwongs, and buffalo bream, particularly near and in the pool’s crevices.
Tip: Bring your fishing gear! Fishing is allowed here.
Carnac Island Nature Reserve
From pad_morrison
Address: Carnac Island Nature Reserve
Drive from the Perth CBD: 23 mins (19.2 km)
Australian sea lions—they’re the numero uno reason why we went on a Carnac Island Nature Reserve escapade. Fortunately, our gas money wasn’t flushed down the drain, as this aquatic hub near South Freo welcomed us with a flock of these rare aquatic doggos.
Beneath the waves, about 3 metres, more swimmers put on a spectacle while cruising on soft corals. The vibrant western blue devil fish caught our eye, but those slippery octopus and spiny crayfish had their moments, too.
Tip: Never venture inland, and stay on the beach to avoid the venomous tiger snakes.
Yanchep Lagoon
From emma4theanimals
Address: 5 Brazier Rd, Yanchep
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 50 mins (55.9 km)
Website
You might actually be living under a rock if you’ve never done laps at Yanchep Lagoon, a poster child of ‘swimming hotspots.’ Don’t think it’s solely for bathers, though. Snorkellers often leave ecstatic post-diving here.
The reef’s max depth is about 5 metres, and its lagoon shape does wonders against the elements. Plus, there’s no shortage of kaleidoscopic marine life—think octopus, cuttlefish, herring, and western blue devils.
Tip: Weekends get super busy here, so opt for weekday sessions if you love the quiet.
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 hrs 25 mins (225.2 km)
Website
Most snorkellers report seeing fish swim by the thousands in Busselton Jetty’s waters, and we’re still chuffed that our dive there was no exception. 9 metres deep, it was never void of action, with over 300 marine species to gawk at.
We saw plenty of Australian herring, yellowtail, and longfin schools hanging about, but the real win was when we spotted the elusive long-headed flathead. What’s more, those anemone-like cup corals added to the site’s beauty, too!
Tip: The 17+ crowd must pay the $4 snorkelling pass. Prepare your budget for it.
Cape Peron
From _jamie_cameron_
Address: Point Peron Rd
Contact Details: +61 8 9219 9000
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 49 min (52.1 km)
Website
Two currents meet at Cape Peron, so the marine life it reels in comes in swarms. In fact, dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, turtles, and even sharks frequent this Insta-worthy site of confluence.
Snorkellers also won’t just be looking at animals, thanks to the swim-throughs, overhangs, and small caves—all close to the shore. Depth-wise, it’s a maximum of 5 metres down there, but the gentle sloping eases things up a bit.
Tip: Unlike most spots here, Cape Peron has no BBQ grills. Consider that if you’re into post-snorkel picnics.
Little Salmon Bay
From annabellendb
Address: Rottnest Island
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: Around 1 hr and 30 mins (32.8 km)
Little Salmon Bay won’t be the final Rottnest Island entry you’ll see here, given how the region is on every snorkeller’s bucket list, Aussie or not.
The bay is as family-friendly as it gets, with sheltered waters and a depth of about 1–5 metres. Additionally, its 700-metre stretch looks straight out of a painting, with tropical fish zipping on and about fascinating limestone rocks, thick seagrass, and pink coral dots.
Tip: Early morning is the bay’s most serene period, both for swimming and snorkelling.
Burns Beach
Address: Burns Beach
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 34 mins (33.5 km)
Marmion Park’s Burns Beach might be relatively smaller, but it sure does punch way above its weight. Near the shore, you can waddle and go under toward a rocky reef, home to numerous reef fish, including the famous dhufish, known for its chevron-like line.
If snorkelling is like breathing to you, venturing deeper isn’t a bad idea. After all, veteran snorkellers and scuba divers have reported sightings of bronze whalers and small sharks between the 10 and 15-metre depth mark.
Tip: You can bring the little ones. Burns Beach has sheltered swimming spots.
Woodman Point Regional Park
From maurice_bonheur
Address: VP8Q+45, Coogee
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 38 mins (34.1 km)
Stretching about 100 metres from the shore, Woodman Point Regional Park’s underwater realm had us giving caves and crevices a proper gander like Indy. Instead of cursed skulls or Biblical artefacts, though, we stumbled upon cuttlefish and a few seahorses.
Life got busier (and greener) at the seagrass meadow, about 2 metres down from the surface. There, we came across blue manna crabs and sea squirts, which came by the truckload.
Tip: If you have a boat or kite surfing kit, bring your gear. The nearby Jervoise Bay has a boat ramp.
Boyinaboat Reef
From waparkswildlife
Address: Corsaire Helicopters, Hillarys
Contact Details: +61 8 9303 7700
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 27 mins (23.2 km)
Website
The 6-metre-deep Boyinaboat Reef is one of those sites that are too pretty to skip despite being a wee bit challenging. About 100 metres from Hillarys Boat Harbour’s sea wall, entering this one can be a doozy, but the scaly rewards are worth it.
It’s loaded to the gills with sea critters and underwater structures, namely sponges, fish, crayfish, swim-throughs, and caves. You can even do some reading below; look for the informational plaques talking about the reef’s thriving flora and fauna!
Tip: Wear water shoes. This spot is rocky and slippery.
Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
From australiagallery
Address: 153 Arcadia Dr, Rockingham
Contact Details: +61 8 9591 1333
Operating Hours: Daily – 9 am to 3 am
Drive from the Perth CBD: 50 mins (53.2 km)
Website
We’ve never run into a snorkeller who didn’t praise Shoalwater Islands Marine Park’s cavernous reef. Caves and overhangs course through the entire thing, and with a 2–6-metre depth, you don’t have to be Ron Taylor to have a ripper time.
It’s a bloody aquatic paradise, that’s for sure. Not only is it a kingdom for fish, urchins, spider crabs, and anemones, but it’s also a playground for bigger mammals, like the equally cheeky sea lions and dolphins!
Tip: Don’t worry if you have kids who don’t snorkel. They can run wild in the playground.
Henrietta Rocks
From danitoast_x
Address: Rottnest Island
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: Around 1 hr and 30 mins (32.8 km)
Website
And we’re back to another Rottnest Island snorkelling hub—the rough and rugged Henrietta Rocks. The beach there is powdery, the water is like a polished mirror, and the submerged attractions are breathtaking.
One of its many spectacles is The Shark, a hopper barge that has been underwater since 1938. Nowadays, it’s a renowned snorkeller-puller that houses creatures of the deep, chiefly tropical fish.
Tip: With a depth of 1–3 metres, this one is ideal for beginners.
Parker Point
From rottnestexpress
Address: Parker Point Rd
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: Around 1 hr and 30 mins (32.8 km)
We told you Rottnest Island would dominate this list, and this time, the ‘enlightening’ 800-metre-long Parker Point gets the spotlight. Erected on its seabed are 12 interpretative plaques, which serve as guides to the trail’s plant and animal life.
Speaking of plant and animal life, you’ll likely see crustaceans, harlequin fish, cuttlefish, and stingrays along the underwater ridge.
Conditions often stay deadset peaceful and clear, letting you eye up the wonders without getting swayed by the tide.
Tip: Don’t touch anything. All underwater flora and fauna here are off-limits.
Hamersley Pool
From jade_suzanne and salt.of.the.sea
Address: 213 W Coast Dr, North Beach
Contact Details: +61 8 9205 8555
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 22 mins (18.6 km)
Website
A fair few of our kiddos got the hang of snorkelling at Hamersley Pool, a tidal pool befitting the ‘clear blue’ title. This site’s reef and depth of about 1.6 metres make it a no-brainer for everyone.
Numerous creatures also inhabit the area, so it’s a prime spot for marine buffs who are not yet ready for Subnautica-level sites. As for what you’ll see, soft corals, ascidians, sea stars, and anemones are the common creatures lurking about.
Tip: If you’re bringing food, prepare for the lizards. There are tons of skinks here, and grub attracts them.
Ammo Jetty
From andriaia
Address: Woodman Point Beach, Cockburn Rd, Coogee
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Drive from the Perth CBD: 34 min (31.9 km)
Novice divers flocking to Ammo Jetty is as predictable as a seagull eyeing your chips. Sure, it has a 9-metre max depth, but there are calmer, shallower stretches for beginners eager to have a look-see at seagrass, nudibranchs, and schools of fish.
Moreover, several pylons significantly aid in navigating the waters—especially helpful for seasoned divers planning to go beyond the shallows. Of course, you can always stray away from them, but doing so puts you at risk of getting hooked by a random fishing line.
Tip: Crabbing is allowed here, so bring your equipment to catch some free dinner.
