Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Rottnest Island
Houtman Abrolhos Jurien Bay - Geraldton Shark Bay Ningaloo Reef - Exmouth
Port Hedland Dampier Broome - Cape Levique Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island Diving
The diving off Perth is varied and a range of brilliant sites can be enjoyed by scuba divers, snorkelers and underwater photographers all along the coastline.
Offshore limestone reefs and around the islands is packed with colourful reef fish and marine invertebrates. Australian sea lions, are common to the area and regularly seen at many dive sites.
The reefs are littered with shipwrecks. Some, still intact, make fascinating diving. The majority of wreck sites are located within the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park and the Marmion Marine Park, and are protected for all to enjoy.
Another unique diving experience is the soft bottom of Cockburn Sound, where visibility can be quite good during autumn and winter and the marine life spectacular.
At 20 metres, Ern's Basket Star Astroboa ernae is wrapped up in its own arms around a brilliant Finger Sponge. At night this species climbs to the top of the 'home' sponge, spreads its arms out to almost a metre in diameter and catches plankton.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
The diving off Perth is varied a range of brilliant sites can be enjoyed along the coastline, even if the visibility is not always perfect. Offshore limestone reefs and islands are packed with colourful reef fish and invertebrates. Australian sea lions, common on some of these islands, are regularly seen at many dive sites.
The reefs are littered with shipwrecks. Some, still intact, make fascinating diving. The majority of sites are located within the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park and the Marmion Marine Park, so are protected for all to enjoy.
Another unique diving experience is the soft bottom of Cockburn Sound, where visibility can be quite good during autumn and winter.
On the soft bottom depths of Cockburn Sound almost every hard surface has one, or more sea cucumbers in residence. The Four - edged Sea Cucumber Colochirus quadrangularis feeds both day and night, spreading out its sticky mouth tentacles to catch plankton. Colours are varied and may be pink, red. yellow, or orange.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Perth is a beautiful city, with a population of over 1 million, and has much to offer apart from diving. All divers should visit the Western Australian Maritime Museum, at Fremantle on the coast 18 km west of Perth. The museum has artefacts on display, and information on the numerous shipwrecks located along the Western Australian coastline.
A number of dive shops are located in the city and suburbs of Perth, and on any weekend dozens of dive boats service the region.
Murray Reefs
A line of reefs off Mandurah, known as the Murray Reefs, offer interesting diving in depths to 6 m. Residents of these shallow limestone reefs include rock lobsters, jewfish, samsonfish, trevally, kingfish and large numbers of reef fish. The remains of the James Service, a three-masted barque which ran aground in 1878, are scattered over the southern-most reef in the group.
At Sorrento Reefs there are lots of limestone cave systems which may hide beautiful specimens of the Much Desired Cowry Zoila venusta which feeds on a karki coloured encrusting sponge.
( photo: Neville coleman)
Five Fathom Bank
Running parallel to the coast for 30 km, Five Fathom Reef is another shallow reef complex, only 12 m deep, providing excellent diving. These limestone reefs have numerous caves and ledges lined with ascidians, sponges, soft corals and gorgonians where the usual cuttlefish, octopi, nudibranchs, sea stars, leatherjackets, perch, morwong, blue devilfish, bullseyes, wobbegongs and rock lobsters can be found.
Endemic to south Western Australia, the Breaksea Cod Epinephelides armatus has pale - centered scales and lives in caves and under ledges during the day.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
The Carlisle Castle (1899) and the Orizaba (1886) two ships which ran aground on the reef, are now popular dive sties. Little remains of the Carlisle Castle, except for its cargo of bricks, an anchor and other small artefacts, however, the 140 m-long Orizaba is easily recognisable as a ship. Much of the hull can be explored the bow, the boilers, the drive shaft and large sections of plates.
A rare species only found in south Western Australia, the Elegant Abalone Haliotis elegans hides beneath rocks off Fremantle and is known to live in depths at 12 to 30 metres. It feeds by grazing algae from rocks at night.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Seal Island
The Australian Sea Lions Neophoca cinera at Carnac Island are ledgendary and pose for snorkelling photographers in the shallows, making fabulous subjects.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Located in the centre of the Shoal-water Islands Marine Park, Seal Island is a great place for a swim with Australian sea lions. At least a dozen of these wonderful mammals live on the island, and often enter the shallow water to swim with divers. These underwater clowns make wonderful photo subjects and amusing dive companions.
Wilsons Sea Star Nectria wilsoni lives in the shallows on reefs and amongst sea grass meadows. It grows to 160 mm and feeds on algae and sponges.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Cape Peron
Shore diving is very popular at Cape Peron, on the large limestone reef offshore. There is much to see, even though the water never gets much deeper than 7 m. The reef is covered with kelp, sponges, ascidians, gorgonians, soft corals, nudibranchs, cuttlefish, sea stars, sea cucumbers, crabs and shrimp. Reef fish are generally small species often seen include leatherjackets, gobies, wrasse, morwong, scorpionfish, bullseyes, yellowtail, boxfish and scalyfin.
Commonly seen around reefs at many deeper dive sites, singles, pairs and small schools of the Footballer Sweep Neatypus obliquus bring flashes of colour to the water column and make startling images.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Palm Beach Jetty
Located in the sheltered waters of Cockburn Sound, the Palm Beach Jetty offers good shore diving to 5 m. Around the jetty pylons are quite a variety of small marine creatures, including spider crabs, shrimp, pipefish, blennies, boxfish, nudibranchs, sea horses and sea cucumbers.
Rockingham Jetty
Fremantle and Cockburn Sound have huge areas of sea grass which become havens for the Western Australian Sea horse Hippocampus elongatus. It grows to 22 cm and comes in a range of colours, including, yellow, pink. brown, white and grey. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Although diving under the existing Rockingham Jetty is interesting, the best diving is around the collapsed section, which drops into 18 m of water. There is also a small artificial reef here and a good variety of marine creatures. Commonly seen are stingarees, sea horses, pipefish, nudibranchs, sea stars, crabs, morwong, scorpionfish, sea pens, sea cucumbers, stripeys, anemones, blennies, globefish and southern coralfish.
Smart enough to know that clumsy divers disturb the bottom and small creatures move and give themselves away, the Western Whiptail Pentapodus vitta is an ever present companion at some soft bottom dive sites.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
MV Petrel Shipwreck
Accessible from the shore, the steam tug Petrel provides an interesting wreck dive. The 15 m-long ship lies in 14 m of water, and is usually surrounded by schools of yellowtail and bullseyes. Living on the soft bottom around the wreck are soft corals, anemones, sea pens, sea cucumbers, nudibranchs and other invertebrates.
Feeding mostly on detritus from soft bottom habitats, the South West Sea Star Antheana australiae can be seen from low tide level down to 30 metres.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
D9 Dredge Shipwreck
This 30 m-long D9 Dredge sank in 1962, and now lies at a depth of 13 m. A popular boat dive, the dredge is essentially intact, and can be entered at a number of points, but only with the proper training and equipment. Around the dredge are cuttlefish, stingarees, globefish, sea horses, old wives, yellowtail, bullseyes, nudibranchs, and shrimp. The wreck is covered in anemones, soft corals, ascidians and sponges. Watch out for the silt.
Woodman Point
Shore diving from Woodmans Groin found me a wealth of species in the shallows, all captured on film over 60 dives. It is easy entry and one can eke out some impressive bottom times.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Shore diving is possible on the limestone groyne at Woodman Point. The reef drops to 8 m where there are plenty of photographic subjects sea horses, anemones, sea stars, nudibranchs, tube worms, boxfish and gobies.
Still rarely found today, in 1972, this Variable Armina Armina variolosa was the first image of its species to be photographed and published. It lives in soft bottom during the day and only comes out at night to feed on sea pens.
( photo: Neville Colelman)
Known for many years, the South - West Aphelodoris Aphelodoris sp. is still awaiting description. It grows to 50 mm and is very common in Cockburn Sound.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Carnac Island
Carnac Island has a resident colony of Australian Sea Lions which seem to prosper despite all the close contact attention from tourists and local weekend visitors.
The diving on some of the limestone reefs around Carnac is spectacular, with caves and swim throughs and lots of rare species to be found.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
A number of good dive sites are found around Carnac Island in only 4-7 m of water. The reef has many caves and gutters, occupied by a wide range of reef fish and invertebrates. Divers can also dive with sea lions, as a small colony resides on the western side of the island.
Determination to species is still in limbo for this interesting nudibranch. At this time it is thought to be a variation of the Graphic Halgerda Halgerda cf. graphica. It was originally discovered by the author in 1971, and to date no similar specimens have been recorded from the area.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Marmion Reef
One of a number of reefs in the Marmion Marine Park, Marmion Reef provides exceptional diving in depths varying from 6-10 m. The limestone reef has countless ledges and caves covered with sponges, soft coral and gorgonians. A wide variety of marine life can be found on every dive, including nudibranchs, leatherjackets, blue devilfish, sea stars, lionfish, stingarees, morwong, samsonfish, trevally, bullseyes, wrasse and rock lobsters. At the southern end of the reef lie the scattered remains of the Centaur, which sank in 1874. Look among the kelp for the metal plating and ribs, and the cargo of lead ore.
Strictly a soft bottom inhabitant, the Southern Blue - spotted Flathead Platycephalus speculator occurs in bays and estuaries all along the entire southern coast and grows to 90 cm. It is covered in light blue, or white spots, with black patches towards the tail.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Straggler Reefs
This shallow system of reefs has claimed many ships heading into Fremantle port. The Lancier (1839) and Zedora (1875) are found at 8 m. The 91 m-long sailing ship, the Ulidia (1893) lies at 3-6 m with the bow structure in tact, and can be explored in calm conditions.
Chitons are little - known molluscs which hide away beneath rocks and under ledges and only come out of hiding at night. However, some, like this Pretty Chiton Rhyssoplax exoptanda have spectacular patterns and colours.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Boyinaboat Reef
This small reef has been accessible from shore, since the Hilary Boat Harbour was built in 1987. The shallow reef supports a good population of reef fish, including morwong, perch, old wives, bullseyes, leatherjackets, wobbegongs and silver drummer. This is another good spot for macro-photography, with plenty of colourful corals, nudibranchs, cuttlefish, cowries, tube worms, shrimp, crabs and sea stars. There are 10 plaques placed around the reef, part of the Marmion Marine Park, to inform divers about the area.
Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Rottnest Island
Houtman Abrolhos Jurien Bay - Geraldton Shark Bay Ningaloo Reef - Exmouth
Port Hedland Dampier Broome - Cape Levique Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island Diving
Neville Coleman's diving expeditions, fauna surveys, photographic fauna surveys and marine life identification courses include every major group of marine life.
Neville Coleman's expertise in marine life identification extends to the identification of Algae, Sea Grass, Forams, Sponges, Stony Corals, Soft Corals, Sea Anemones, Sea Jellies, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Black Corals, Flatworms, Segmented Worms, Crustaceans, Barnacles, Shrimps, Rock Lobsters, Hermit Crabs, Squat Lobsters, Molluscs, Chitons, Univalves, Bivalves, Cephalopods, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Squid, Opisthobranchs, Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Bryozoans, Sea Mosses, Echinoderms, Sea Stars, Feather Stars, Brittle Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, Ascidians/Sea Squirts, Marine Fish, Sharks, marine Reptiles and Marine Mammals, all found in the waters off Perth, and around Fremantle, and Cockburn Sound.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
