Western Australia reefs.

Western Australia has a great number of excellent and varied scuba diving locations, as would be expected on a coastline more than one-third the total of Australia and a state about 8 times the size of Germany or 10 times the size of Texas…It is the only Australian state that covers both tropical and temperate waters with their respective marine life species…and with thousands of kilometres of coastline, hundreds of nearby islands, abundant and varied marine life, a mix of tropical and temperate climates and numerous shipwrecks just offshore, the scuba diving and snorkelling in Western Australia is unbeatable.

North of Perth, as the highway stretches into ever-increasing distances between towns, the natural beauty unfolds before your eyes. The Houtman Abrolhos Islands are a scuba diving paradise and a popular destination for scuba diving safaris…Shark Bay and Monkey Mia teem with marine life (including some of the friendliest dolphins around) and as seasonal home to the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, Exmouth’s Ningaloo Reef invitingly tempts scuba diving enthusiasts into the water.

Further north still, Broome is your base to explore the magnificent Kimberley region, one of Australia’s last frontiers. It is an isolated region of mountain ranges, pearlers, great beaches, creeks and rivers and hides some of the finest examples of Aboriginal Art to be seen anywhere…Broome is also your access point for liveaboard scuba diving safaris to the Rowley Shoals, offshore of Broome. Despite enormous advances in the past decade in the Kimberley region, this is still a little-travelled and remote area of Australia with magnificent scenery, exciting scuba diving and cultural secrets.

Western Australian Islands

Western Australian islands are made up of several large groups of small islands, which line the coastline. Only a few are accessible for tourists, although these offer fabulous landscape scenery and plenty of wildlife and many are scuba diving destinations for scuba diving safaris and trips.

Just off Esperance, along the south west coast, are a group of about 100 islands. There is plenty of wildlife on the islands including fur seals, penguins and water birds. From Esperance you can take a trip out to Woody Island, which offers basic camping facilities.

Just west of Perth is the popular Rottnest Island which is home to the pretty Quokka…there is a range of undersea adventures that divers can take advantage of on a scuba diving trip – calm bays attract snorkellers, while dive boats provide access to the deeper seas and dive sites… The Rottnest shipwreck trail tells stories of the 14 shipwrecks found along its coast – information plaques can be seen on the ocean bed... Cavernous reefs, seagrass meadows and even more shipwrecks surround the islands of Shoalwater Marine Park, just an hour south of Perth, all of which can be seen on a scuba diving trip. You will also find sea lions and penguins… west of Perth are Garden Island, Penguin Island and Seal Island, with the latter two part of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park... a cruise trip can be taken between October and May to visit the Fairy Penguin colony on Penguin Island from Rockingham.

Further north off the central west coast of Western Australia you will find the Houtman Abrolhos Islands which are made up of a number of tiny islands home to a thriving cray fishing industry, and also some of the most breathtaking scuba diving sites in the state. The birdlife on these islands is spectacular and the Acropora family of coral which lies under the water is one of the world’s more beautiful corals… Although you can’t stay on the islands you can book on a dive boat offering a scuba diving day trip or liveaboard scuba diving safaris to the Abrolhos and dip deeper into this soul-searing underwater kingdom.

There have also been several shipwrecks discovered off the Abrolhos islands. These occurred between 1629 and 1727 and include the Batavia, the Zeewijk, the Vergulde Draeck and the Zuytdorp… all these wrecks can be routinely dived on the liveaboard diving safaris or day scuba diving trip that visits the region.

Further north off the coral coast are the pretty Montebello Islands, stretching from Onslow to Karratha… access to the Montebello Islands is still restricted, but this is not the case with Barrow Island, now a major offshore oil drilling site. The Montebello group was named in 1801 by the French explorer Baudin, and is made up of approximately 100 limestone islands… The Dampier Archipelago is very popular amongst game fishermen and hosts the large Dampier Classic fishing competition in August.

There are liveaboard scuba diving safaris available from the coral coast out to the Muiron Islands where you are likely to see green turtles, hawsbill, and loggerhead turtles. There are also exclusive resorts on both Direction and Thevenard Islands, which are both popular holiday destinations among sports fishermen as well as providing a base for divers planning scuba diving safaris or a scuba diving trip on the surrounding reefs.

Just off the north coast of Western Australia, and the Kimberley more islands can be found. You can travel to Cockatoo Island from Derby, where you find the Cockatoo Island Resort…Further west, a fair distance from the Western Australian coastline, you will also find Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands. Both islands are beautiful and have a strong Asian feel to them, and although fairly expensive to visit, are well worth it... if you would like more information on visiting or taking a scuba diving trip to Christmas or Cocos Island just Contact us.