Explore Victoria

Diving in Victoria, the smallest state in Australia, offers an enchanting underwater adventure for both novice and experienced divers. Nestled where the Pacific Ocean, Tasman Sea, and Indian Ocean converge, Victoria is a biodiversity hotspot teeming with marine life. From the striking rocky outcrops of Phillip Island to the mysterious shipwrecks along the Shipwreck Coast, the variety of dive environments is impressive. Whether exploring vibrant reefs, drifting through kelp forests, or charting a course over historic wrecks, each dive promises new wonders.

Victoria's temperate waters provide a playground for marine enthusiasts, with typical sightings including playful dolphins, curious fur seals, and the iconic weedy sea dragons. The region’s liveaboard options and local dive centers, particularly around Melbourne, Geelong, and the Mornington Peninsula, ensure easy access to these aquatic wonders. Seasonal highlights like the winter migration of humpback whales add to the allure, making Victoria a compelling destination for divers seeking both adventure and serenity beneath the waves.

Places to explore

Philip Island

Explore Pillip IslandA 90-minute drive from Melbourne is Phillip Island, one of the most popular day

Mornington Peninsula

10 Divesites 2 Centers

Explore Mornington PeninsulaMornington Peninsula has some of the best beaches across Southern Austra

Melbourne

4 Divesites 5 Centers

Explore MelbourneMelbourne is Australia’s capital of culture and is fast gaining recognition among

Geelong

Explore GeelongGeelong, located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, shares much of the same diving

Dive Sites Show on map

AQUATIC ADVENTURES, 3178 ROWVILLE

Mordialloc Pier (★3.1)

Mordialloc Pier, located on Beach Road lays at the entrance to Mordialloc Creek, and is fairly close to Melbourne and has similar marine life to Mornington Pier, but not nearly as interesting.

AQUATIC ADVENTURES, 3178 ROWVILLE

Ricketts Point (★3.2)

Rickett’s Point is a vibrant, shallow shore dive ideal for all experience levels. Explore kelp-covered reefs, colourful sponges, stingrays, and playful fish as you navigate calm conditions and photogenic rock formations—perfect for relaxed underwater exploring, training, and macro photography.

AQUATIC ADVENTURES, 3178 ROWVILLE

Mornington Pier (★3.4)

First built in the 1850s, Mornington Pier and Jetty is a regularly used dive training site and a relaxing after work night dive site for many Melbourne based divers. A site which is usually diveable when the wind is up just a bit.

AQUATIC ADVENTURES, 3178 ROWVILLE

Blairgowrie Pier (★3.8)

Blairgowrie Pier is located in Camerons Bight on the southern shore of Port Philip between Sorrento and Rye, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. There is so much to see in this constantly changing, colorful environment across all of the different habitat types.

ADRENO MELBOURNE, 3192 CHELTENHAM

Popes Eye (★4.2)

Pope’s Eye is a sandy shoal with a partially completed bluestone fortification called the Annulus. It was to be the foundation of an island fort in the 1880’s to protect the bay.

Mares

Flinders Pier (★3.7)

Flinders Pier is the perfect alternative when Port Phillip is blown out due to northerly winds. This site is protected from these winds and is best dived during high tide. There is very little depth at low tide.

Scubapro

Rye Pier (★3.8)

Rye Pier is an L-shaped pier approximately 500 meters long. It was built in 1860 to service the lime trade. The pier points North-Northeast so it is not diveable in strong northerly winds. A long walk to the lower landing located 50 meters from the end of the pier. Much better dive at night as more things come out then.

Mares

Portsea Hole (★4.0)

Portsea Hole is about 500m from the Portsea Pier and is a remnant of the old Yarra River. The top of the hole is at 14m and to the north there is a vertical wall approximately 75m(250ft) long which drops to sand at 27m (90ft), then into a sand bowl which bottoms at 33m(110ft).

Aqualung

Lonsdale Bommies (★4.2)

Discovered and named by one of the great local diving legends, this dive site is spectacular. Approximately 1 kilometer from the Point Lonsdale Light and clear of the shipping channel, just outside Port Phillip Heads, is an amazing area of bommies, or underwater rock formations.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

Foggy Reef (★4.3)

Foggy Reef sits at the southern-most end of the Lonsdale wall system. The top of the wall is a great dive for beginners as it is around 8 meters deep. If you swim northeast you will find the edge of the wall. This site is part of the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park.

Scubapro

Castle Rock (★4.4)

Castle Rock is located outside the Port Phillip Heads in approximately 18 metres of water. It sits on a sandy bottom and rises to around 12 metres. The rock is around 200m in circumference, has many overhangs, walls and swimthroughs, and can be circled several times in a dive.

Scubapro

The Plateau (★4.3)

This is a dive in the middle of the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park. The plateau is a huge rocky platform in around the 16-meter range winding its way around the edge of the platform. This is the deepest water in Victoria, originally part of the river Yarra.

Mares

Eliza Ramsden, wreck (★4.2)

Constructed in Glasgow Scotland in 1874 for Samuel Ramsden of Melbourne and named after his wife, this ship cost 10,000 pounds. She was a three-masted iron barque 151 ft long and 27 ft wide with a gross tonnage of 415 tons. The vessel sunk in 1875 on her first voyage out of Melbourne when she struck Corsair rock.

Aqualung

Devil’s Dropoff (★4.5)

Devil’s Drop Off is one of the Melbourne’s most popular dive sites onits famous Lonsdale Wall. Devil’s Drop Off begins with a large drop-off from around 12 to 30 metres and continues with many ledges, overhangs and swim throughs.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

Spectacular Reef (★4.3)

Spec Reef (aka Spectacular Reef) is part of the former Yarra River bed and lies in the South Channel, Port Phillip, Victoria. It is, therefore, subject to shipping traffic. The area is quite large and offers many different dive sites.

Diving in Victoria

Victoria, Australia, offers a plethora of exciting dive sites attracting enthusiasts worldwide. One of the most notable wreck dives is the "HMAS Canberra," a purpose-sunk ex-naval ship that provides an artificial reef teeming with marine life. Divers can explore its intricate structures and discover vibrant fish species and fascinating invertebrates. For those preferring shore dives, the "Portsea Pier" is popular, featuring easy accessibility and a chance to spot weedy sea dragons and nudibranchs.

Night dives in Victoria provide unique underwater experiences, especially at "Blairgowrie Pier," where nocturnal marine life becomes active, offering divers a different perspective. Additionally, the balance between shore dives and liveaboard diving options caters to all preferences, with the latter offering extended trips to remote sites like the "Ex-HMAS Canberra." Whether diving from shore or a boat, Victoria promises memorable encounters and diverse underwater adventures.

The best Months to dive in Victoria

Victoria offers diverse diving conditions throughout the year, benefiting from its temperate maritime climate. Divers can enjoy water temperatures ranging from 10°C–16°C/50°F–61°F. During the summer, waters are warmer, inviting more divers, while the cooler winter months might require additional thermal protection. Visibility in Victoria typically ranges from 5 to 15 meters/16 to 49 feet, depending on the season and location. Weather factors like wind and currents significantly impact diving conditions, with summer and fall generally providing calmer seas. Diving is feasible year-round, though spring can bring unpredictable weather patterns, making it a less favorable period for diving expeditions.