Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Fremantle - Cockburn
Sound Houtman Abrolhos Jurien Bay - Geraldton Shark Bay
Ningaloo Reef - Exmouth Port Hedland Dampier Broome - Cape Levique
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Christmas Island Diving
Rottnest Island is located 18 km west of Perth and the scuba diving,snorkeling and underwater photography is phenominal.
About 10 km long and 4 km wide, this marine reserve is ringed by sandy beaches and sheltered bays, and is surrounded by clear, warm water for most of the year.
Thousands of people visit the island each week to dive on its numerous reefs and wrecks, relax on its clean beaches, have a look at the famous quokkas (a rabbit-sized marsupial) and enjoy the natural beauty of the island.
When I first set eyes on Fishook Bay at Rottnest island in 1971, I could hardly believe such a fantastic place could exist. It was a visual paradise, with everything a marine naturalist could wish for. Extensive intertidal rock platforms, shallow pools for snorkelling and deeper areas for scuba diving.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
The islands superb sites can be dived on a day trip from Fremantle all diver operators in Perth offer regular trips or you can book a stay on the island. A range of accommodation is available, centred around Thomson Bay, and there are daily boat dives.
Thomson Bay
This shallow bay, where the wreck of the Uribes can be seen in 3 m of water, is popular with snorkelers. The 37 m-long ship sank in 1942, and today the outline of the hull is still very distinct.
Surrounded by sea grass meadows, with kelp covered reefs all around, Pocillopora Reef seemed to be way out of place. Yet there it was, a reef of tropical corals surrounded by temperate water inhabitants, quite amazing.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Dyer Island
When the seas are calm on the southern side of Dyer Island, the remains of the Lady Elizabeth can be explored. Wrecked in 1878, the 49 m-long ship is an interesting dive in 7 m of water. The bow, foremast, mainmast, bollards, winches, plates and twisted beams can still be seen. Nearby lies the wreck of the Raven (1891) but little remains as most of the ship lies buried under the sand.
There are just so many deeper reefs around Rottnest Island that it would take years to dive them all and discover their living treasures. Roe Reef was a favourite of mine as it was where I found this Southern Basket Star Conocladus australis.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Parker Point
Lush coral gardens are found in 3 m of water on the reef around Parker Point, as well as abundant reef fish silver drummer, sweetlips, butterflyfish, morwongs, wrasse and scalyfins.
Western Australias version of the east coasts Banded Morwong, the Red - lip Morwong Cheilodactylus rubrolabiatus is mostly only seen in south West Australia. It is typical of Morwongs in general and allows close approach by divers.
( photo: Jorina van der Westhuizen)
Strickland Bay
One of the most exciting dives at Rottnest is on the drop-off at Strickland Bay, where the reef drops from 7-18 m, with numerous ledges and caves. Sponges, ascidians, gorgonians, soft corals and hard corals are plentiful, as well as reef fish and many invertebrate species. Divers also usually see kingfish, boarfish, samsonfish, jewfish and occasionally a green turtle.
The Square - back Coralfish Chelmonops curiosus has been seen feeding in the branchial crowns of southern tube worms. This species ranges from South Australia to south Western Australia and is quite common around Rottnest island and generally swims in pairs. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Cape Vlaming
When conditions allow, Cape Vlaming provides spectacular diving. The reef drops to 26 m, and numerous caves and gutters are found along the wall. Take a flashlight to see the brilliant corals covering the walls of the caves shared by rock lobsters, blue devilfish, wobbegongs, shrimp, molluscs, cuttlefish and nudibranchs. Around the reef are a good variety of fish including morwong, bullseyes, perch, cod, kingfish and leatherjackets.
Adding patches colour to the deeper reefs, the Sqamose Sea Fan Mopsea sqamosa is quite common and may be seen under ledges and out in the open. Like all octocorals it has polyps with 8 tentacles and although it might appear as a good host, it does not appear to support any direct commensals.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Swirl Reef
Depths around Swirl Reef vary from 4-16 m. The ledges and caves found on this limestone reef, like most in the area, are home to many invertebrate species and harlequin fish, blue devilfish, rock lobsters and even a few Port Jackson sharks. Near the reef lies the wreck of the Mira Flores, which ran aground in 1886. The remains of the wreck are now scattered at 12 m, and many artefacts can still be found around the stern section which stands high off the bottom.
On a dark overcast day I was lucky enough to come across this fabulous display of the Spiny Basket Star Euryale asperum spreading out its arms to catch plankton. It appears that the basket stars only expand for feeding when the light is minimal. That is why we generally only see them out during night dives.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Catherine Bay
On the numerous reefs that surround Catherine Bay, in depths to 7 m, are many caves and gutters covered in sponges and corals. Common are boxfish, wrasse, silver drummer, morwongs, lionfish, yellowtail, bullseyes, butterflyfish, blue devilfish, globefish, leatherjackets and numerous invertebrates. The remains of the City of York lie just off the bay in 7 m. Wrecked in 1899, much of the ship is now covered in kelp, but there is still plenty to see.
Transit Reefs
One of the best shallow water dives is at the Transit Reefs. Honeycombed with caves, swimthroughs and masses of ledges, these limestone reefs are covered in a kaliederscope of sessile organisms such as masses of sponges, ascidians and corals, with nudibranchs everywhere. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
The Transit Reefs claimed three ships last century, the Janet (1887), the Macedon (1883) and the Denton Holme (1890). Although the reef is interesting to explore, with plenty of colour corals and fish life, the wrecks provide the most excitement. The Denton Holmes has broken up in 2-7 m of water, with the bow section rising high off the bottom. Pipes, bollards, masts, beams and plates lie scattered around the site. Little can be seen of the Janet, except for a boiler and anchor, while the 67 m-long Macedon is essentially in tact. The hull lies in 6 m of water and makes a great wreck dive, especially when conditions are calm.
Where ever one dives around the south West there are Western Rock Lobsters Panulirus cygnus under the ledges and stacked up in deeper caves. Incredibly their larvae take 9 months to settle out of the plankton, going through several stages of metamorphis before they take up residence on a reef as juvenile rock lobsters.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Roe Reef
In depths varying from 3-25 m are a number of interesting sites around Roe Reef. In caves and gutters, you are likely to find wobbegongs, stingrays, silver drummer, harlequin fish, cuttlefish, blue devilfish and reef fish.
One of my new species discoveries, found at 20 metres at Rottnest Island in 1972. It ( like many other new species I discovered) was donated to Australian Museums. My collections were never worked on by Australian taxonomists at the time and it wasnt till 2001 that it was described. The Rottnest Halgerda Halgerda theobroma is still a very rare species and is endemic to the area. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Duck Rock
Many caves undercut the reefs around Duck Rock, in depths from 5-10 m. These are good places to see rock lobsters, stingrays, cuttlefish, octopi, and the occasional jewfish.
Living beneath ledges and in caves, the West Australian Pearl Perch Glaucosoma hebraicum grows to over 1 metre and as the wests best table fish it is heavily line fished and spearfished. Some find respite around the declared marine parks such as Rottnest Island. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Great Australian Bight Esperance Albany - Denmark Albany Best in the SW
Augusta - Cape Naturalist Busselton - Geographe Bay Fremantle - Cockburn
Sound 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 around the reefs and sea grass meadows off Rottnest Island.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
