Rottnest Island is known for its beaches. For its white sand, sparkling water, and the endless spots to swim and snorkel.
But for those who like to spend a bit more time under the waves, it’s also a beautiful scuba diving location, with a range of exciting—and sometimes challenging—dives to experience.
Here are some of the best Rottnest Island scuba diving spots to explore.
What you need to know before scuba diving on Rottnest Island
The conditions are typically favourable
Rottnest Island provides interesting conditions for divers: the water here is a few degrees warmer than just off the mainland, making for more comfortable diving conditions. This is thanks to the passing Leeuwin Current that travels down from the north, bringing the warmer equatorial water with it.
And, in autumn and winter, this means that these colder months are actually a better time for scuba diving on Rottnest Island. The warmer temperatures tend to be more inviting, and as the afternoon sea breezes dissipate, the surface is flatter. This works to provide better visibility than in summer, seeing 10 or 15 metres further around you.
It’s recommended to bring most of your gear
We recommend that you bring most of your diving gear with you, except for the oxygen tank. You can hire these from Pedal & Flipper Hire on the island, available at a daily rate. This means you can travel lighter and make more room in your suitcase.
Our top Rottnest Island scuba diving spots
Shark Cave (Cathedral Rocks)
Skill level: Advanced
Shark Cave is found at Cathedral Rocks, off the West End of Rottnest Island. Under the water, you’ll discover dramatic limestone caverns. The caverns and cave systems are 10 metres deep at their shallowest, descending to 26 metres at the back of the cave.
It’s one of the island’s favourite dive sites—with a particularly apt name. Grey nurse sharks use the cave as a resting place during the day before heading out on a night’s hunt. You may see one or two on your dive; the highest number ever seen is 12.
Shark Cave is one kilometre off the island, so it can be visited by boat or by diving charter. However, the strong surface currents can be a challenge, so it’s recommended for advanced divers.
Crystal Palace
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
Crystal Palace is east off Parker Point, approximately 850m southwest of Dyer Island. It’s a reasonably shallow dive, ranging from eight to 18 metres in depth. And, due to its position off the coast, it’s reasonably calm.
However, underwater you’ll find an extensive network of caves to dive into and explore. Shrouded in coral and seagrass, they’re home to hundreds, possibly thousands, of fish. You’ll come face to face with buffalo bream, snapper, and even rock lobster scuttling around the depths.
Given its size, it’s a place you’ll want to stay and explore, so bring more than one tank with you when you go.
Opera House
Skill level: Intermediate
If you’re interested in setting your sights further afield, around five kilometres south off Rottnest you’ll find Opera House.
The area features a sloping limestone reef that’s home to a maze of caves and swim-throughs. Opera House itself is a rock inside the larger cave system, up to 31 metres in depth. Rays of light illuminate the caverns, and coral and overhangs add to the dramatic effect. You’ll find schools of bullseye fish, wrasse, and even the occasional grey nurse shark roaming the depths.
A unique underwater adventure, Opera House is a truly exhilarating dive that’s unlike anywhere else.
Roe Reef
Skill level: All levels
Around 1.5km off the shore from Bathurst Lighthouse, Roe Reef is a fantastic diving spot for all scuba abilities. Known for its good visibility, it’s best explored when the swell is low.
The reef itself is a series of small caves around 14m in depth, where you’ll find tight swim-throughs and a giant limestone arch on the western side. The caves are teeming with reef fish, wobbegong sharks, and even stingrays and cuttlefish to be found.
Parker Point Marine Sanctuary
Skill level: Beginner
Parker Point provides perfect conditions for newer divers; the sand slopes gently away, and you can ease into the water and follow 12 interpretive plaques along the 800m underwater dive trail. These plaques provide information about the fish and undersea life that surrounds you.
It’s a shallow dive, ranging from 2m to 12m, where you’ll find a variety of fish darting about. The reef that rings the Point provides some relief from swell as well.
The Parker Point Marine Sanctuary has been set up to protect the famous Pocillopora, or pink coral, so be careful when diving around, and make sure not to accidentally kick it with your fins.
Discover the wrecks
Skill level: Beginner to advanced, depending on where you dive
With its vast reef system, Rottnest Island has become the final resting place of 13 or more seafaring vessels. And while unlucky for the poor souls on board some of them, today the remains of these ships provide haunting places to visit while scuba diving.
Two of them, the Uribes and Shark, like just metres from the shore. Further out to sea, you’ll find the Macedon, Janet, Denton Holme, City of Yorke, and Mira Flores, all lying between 4m to 14m in depth.
Covered in sea grass and studded with barnacles, they provide homes for curious fish to explore—and for intrepid divers, they’re a place to come face to face with the island’s seafaring history.
Warm up in comfort when you return to land
Rottnest Island provides a wealth of scuba diving opportunities for divers of all abilities. Away from the sun and bustle of the beaches, you can explore an underwater world with unique and mesmerising sea life.
Check out our Rottnest Island Snorkelling Guide for more diving options. And when you’re ready, book your stay at Samphire Rottnest to make sure you have somewhere you can warm up, relax, and unwind in style.
