Explore Perth

In Western Australia is Perth, where people come to enjoy the laidback atmosphere, beautiful beaches, and stunning surrounding landscapes. Within the sea, are also some incredible landscapes, with over twenty dive sites accessed from Perth’s shore and many more if you travel by boat to some of the nearby islands such as Rottnest Island. The area is home to a number of historical wrecks with drift dives, overhangs, caves, and swim-throughs all to be found among limestone rocks. Seahorse and the weedy sea dragon take refuge from the current in reefs while dolphins, seals and even a migratory humpback whale may be seen travelling West Australia’s rugged and diverse coastline.

Scuba diving in Perth is possible from a number of dive centres in the area. Often, these dive centres will take you further afield to Rottnest Island and some even venture as far as the Great Barrier Reef on dive trips. Dive resorts are not common in Western Australia but if you want to spend longer exploring WA diving, jump on visiting liveaboards which can be boarded from Perth’s vibrant port town, Fremantle.

Top Regions to Explore

Dive Activity

Diving in Perth

Perth is home to a number of impressive wrecks, such as the Lady Elizabeth or Macedon and Denton Holmes Wrecks which are suitable for novice divers. Advanced divers can head to the Gemini Wreck at Two Rock lying 30-metres deep and adorned with pink and white soft corals swaying ethereally in the current. There are many shore dives from Perth’s beaches, such as the caves and ledges abundant with anemones, crayfish, and cuttlefish at Yanchep Dog Beach or the swim-throughs found at Mushroom Rocks accessed via Point Peron.

For a drift dive, head to Swan River which filters into the Indian Ocean. Accessed from the port town of Fremantle, drift steadily along the river using your buoyancy skills to avoid stirring up the muddy bottom. Little Island is great site to find crayfish and seal while taking a short boat ride to Rottnest Island will find divers finning among pristine reefs with plenty of fun swim-throughs and caverns. If you decide to take dive courses from Perth dive centres, it is likely you will take your training dives in the calm waters of Rottnest Island or from Perth shore dives.

Dive Centers

Dive Sites

The best Months to dive in Perth

Perth diving is available all-year-round as it is Australia’s sunniest city, with ranging water temperatures from 19-24℃. From December to March there are hot, dry summers and the most rainfall occurs between May through to September but even though it is the wettest, most days have brilliant blue skies and lots of sunshine. Seals and bottlenose dolphin can be seen throughout the year in Perth while September to December, humpback whales can be seen migrating along the coast.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Perth

At Rottnest Island, sea turtles can be seen breaching the surface for a breath of fresh air while looking within seagrass meadows divers can spot the weedy and leafy sea dragons. Sheltering in caves you may find the wobbegong sharks and grey nurse sharks while entering from Perth shores, a Port Jackson shark may be seen resting on the sandy flats. At sites with silty bottoms, blue swimmer crabs dance across the seafloor while sand dollars, sea stars, and the impressive white-spotted jellyfish pulse through the water.

Divers can access an island where sea lions live throughout the year while there is also the opportunity to see bull stingrays and dolphins playing. Occasionally eagle rays swoop in from the deeper blue to feed on crustaceans and crayfish frequent Perth’s shore dives. Octopus hide in cracks and crevices in the limestone rocks and brilliantly coloured nudibranch adorn the remnants of ships. Very lucky divers may have the chance to swim alongside a migrating humpback whale during the right season or view them on their surface interval.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 300

Octopus

Octopus

356 Sightings
J
59
F
82
M
69
A
71
M
28
J
7
J
10
A
2
S
2
O
5
N
8
D
13

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 600

Wrasse

Wrasse

166 Sightings
J
32
F
15
M
25
A
25
M
3
J
2
J
3
A
17
S
9
O
9
N
10
D
16

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 200

Moray Eel

Moray Eel

29 Sightings
J
10
F
0
M
7
A
9
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
3
Common Seahorse

Common Seahorse

437 Sightings
J
77
F
55
M
41
A
65
M
23
J
27
J
23
A
25
S
24
O
15
N
34
D
28

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 80

Stingrays

Stingrays

380 Sightings
J
57
F
57
M
66
A
49
M
15
J
17
J
8
A
14
S
16
O
17
N
33
D
31

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7000

Crab

Crab

370 Sightings
J
52
F
29
M
33
A
33
M
25
J
27
J
19
A
25
S
28
O
14
N
45
D
40

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3000

Nudibranch

Nudibranch

287 Sightings
J
65
F
32
M
40
A
45
M
14
J
10
J
4
A
10
S
8
O
14
N
26
D
19

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Spiny Lobster

Spiny Lobster

238 Sightings
J
39
F
21
M
26
A
22
M
17
J
17
J
13
A
9
S
7
O
15
N
29
D
23

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pufferfish

Pufferfish

233 Sightings
J
30
F
8
M
34
A
44
M
5
J
11
J
31
A
11
S
9
O
8
N
9
D
33

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 120

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish

182 Sightings
J
10
F
8
M
32
A
45
M
17
J
14
J
14
A
5
S
11
O
5
N
11
D
10

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

Sweetlips and Grunts

129 Sightings
J
22
F
9
M
19
A
20
M
4
J
3
J
0
A
11
S
6
O
10
N
8
D
17

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Butterfly Fish

Butterfly Fish

122 Sightings
J
27
F
9
M
10
A
18
M
2
J
4
J
0
A
18
S
6
O
6
N
8
D
14

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

Boxfish

Boxfish

120 Sightings
J
25
F
5
M
21
A
17
M
2
J
7
J
2
A
8
S
6
O
6
N
6
D
15

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 55

Lobster

Lobster

114 Sightings
J
20
F
13
M
13
A
19
M
3
J
1
J
5
A
2
S
10
O
11
N
13
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 100

Parrotfish

Parrotfish

104 Sightings
J
18
F
2
M
16
A
19
M
2
J
5
J
6
A
17
S
7
O
5
N
3
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 110

Snapper

Snapper

93 Sightings
J
6
F
4
M
24
A
13
M
3
J
3
J
0
A
6
S
6
O
3
N
9
D
16

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Soldierfish

Soldierfish

91 Sightings
J
18
F
2
M
11
A
21
M
2
J
2
J
0
A
7
S
6
O
1
N
6
D
15

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Grouper/Basslets

Grouper/Basslets

90 Sightings
J
14
F
12
M
11
A
17
M
2
J
3
J
1
A
6
S
4
O
8
N
0
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Angelfish

Angelfish

89 Sightings
J
8
F
8
M
13
A
12
M
1
J
5
J
2
A
15
S
7
O
10
N
2
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 8

Bannerfish

Bannerfish

80 Sightings
J
15
F
3
M
13
A
14
M
4
J
7
J
0
A
5
S
4
O
0
N
8
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Triggerfish

Triggerfish

67 Sightings
J
13
F
1
M
5
A
5
M
2
J
2
J
2
A
15
S
5
O
3
N
7
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 2

Nurse Shark

Nurse Shark

66 Sightings
J
8
F
1
M
5
A
9
M
8
J
3
J
3
A
4
S
5
O
8
N
5
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 350

Damselfish

Damselfish

66 Sightings
J
6
F
7
M
4
A
17
M
2
J
1
J
2
A
7
S
4
O
1
N
7
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 300

Squid

Squid

64 Sightings
J
0
F
2
M
14
A
7
M
6
J
6
J
5
A
8
S
4
O
1
N
6
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Goatfish

Goatfish

55 Sightings
J
8
F
2
M
9
A
18
M
2
J
3
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
1
N
4
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Jackfish

Jackfish

49 Sightings
J
7
F
2
M
1
A
6
M
1
J
3
J
2
A
6
S
1
O
6
N
9
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3400

Shrimp

Shrimp

37 Sightings
J
4
F
3
M
1
A
3
M
2
J
4
J
8
A
5
S
4
O
1
N
0
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish

35 Sightings
J
3
F
6
M
5
A
5
M
2
J
0
J
1
A
1
S
0
O
1
N
6
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Squirrelfish

Squirrelfish

30 Sightings
J
4
F
1
M
2
A
7
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
4
S
2
O
0
N
4
D
5
Moon Jellyfish

Moon Jellyfish

28 Sightings
J
7
F
2
M
0
A
1
M
2
J
7
J
4
A
1
S
1
O
0
N
0
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 85

Surgeonfish

Surgeonfish

27 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
2
A
5
M
3
J
1
J
0
A
7
S
5
O
1
N
0
D
0
Weedy Seadragon

Weedy Seadragon

24 Sightings
J
3
F
2
M
4
A
3
M
1
J
0
J
4
A
0
S
2
O
1
N
0
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 28

Clownfish

Clownfish

23 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
10
A
4
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
4
S
0
O
5
N
0
D
0
Wobbegong

Wobbegong

21 Sightings
J
4
F
0
M
0
A
5
M
1
J
0
J
0
A
1
S
7
O
0
N
1
D
2
Spiny Seahorse

Spiny Seahorse

20 Sightings
J
4
F
5
M
2
A
2
M
2
J
0
J
0
A
1
S
0
O
0
N
2
D
2
Garibaldi Damselfish

Garibaldi Damselfish

18 Sightings
J
1
F
1
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
1
J
0
A
3
S
3
O
1
N
4
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 50

Sea Wasp

Sea Wasp

14 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
4
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
4
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 20

Porcupinefish

Porcupinefish

13 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
1
A
1
M
2
J
3
J
1
A
2
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
1

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 22

Cod

Cod

11 Sightings
J
2
F
2
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
3
O
0
N
2
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 2

Tarpon

Tarpon

11 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
0
A
1
M
0
J
2
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
4
D
1