Whether you dive, snorkel or prefer standing on terra firma, an enthralling slice of maritime history awaits your discovery.
Feature by Carolyn Beasley
When the Disney+ docuseries ‘Shipwreck Hunters Australia’ hit screens in 2022, fans swooned over breathtaking waters and rugged coastlines, as a team of adventurous divers solved maritime mysteries off Western Australia. Filming of series two is now well underway, and devotees around the world will soon have their fascination for WA’s watery depths reignited.
While we can’t all be underwater trailblazers, the WA coastline is littered with shipwrecks that are easier to discover, by scuba diving, by snorkelling, or even from the land.
Rottnest Island
Just a 30-minute ferry ride from Fremantle (Walyalup), the limestone and coral reefs of Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) are the graveyard for at least 13 ships. The Uribes, wrecked in 1942, lies just metres from the beach in Thomson Bay, in shallow water. Off Henrietta Rocks, the barge Shark sank in 1938. Exposed at low tide, it’s safest to snorkel this wreck in very calm conditions.
Henrietta Rocks, Rottnest
Perth
Just off the southern suburbs of Perth (Boorloo), lies one of WA’s most accessible shipwrecks. In a few fin kicks from the northern end of Coogee Beach, you’ll be snorkelling along the Coogee Maritime Trail, and wreck of the Omeo is impossible to miss. The 65-metre iron barque ran ashore here in 1905 and was considered unsalvageable, much to the delight of countless fish that now call it home.
Dunsborough
Off the coast of Eagle Bay near Dunsborough, the former naval vessel HMAS Swan was deliberately scuttled in 1997 as a diving playground. The ship’s depth ranges from 31 to 24 metres, with the crow’s nest being just eight metres below the surface. Large cut-outs in the ship allow exploring inside, and divers are likely to encounter schools of bullseyes.
Hamelin Bay
In the State’s south-west corner, four wrecks lie close to shore at the former timber port of Hamelin Bay. At 300 metres offshore, the wooden barque Chaudiere, is the closest. Sinking in 1883, the ship was still loaded with its cargo of timber sleepers. It now lies in six metres of water, suitable for shore diving or snorkelling.
Albany
Despite the cooler waters, scuba divers in Albany (Kinjarling), are blessed with one of the best wreck dives in the state, the HMAS Perth II. A former guided missile destroyer, the ship was deliberately scuttled in 2001. Divers can now take in the temperate coral growth, meet friendly blue gropers and even try out the skipper’s chair on the bridge.
The Montebello Islands
In the State’s north west, the remote Montebello Islands are an underwater paradise. The islands are home to Australia’s oldest known shipwreck, the Trial, which sank here in 1622, the identity of which was confirmed during Season 1 of the Shipwreck Hunters Australia. Divers can visit on a liveaboard dive boat to gawk at the canons, anchors and rich marine life.
Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth
Off the tip of North West Cape near Exmouth, the SS Mildura hit Ningaloo Reef (Nyinggulu) in 1907. The ship rests in just four metres of water in the wave zone and is generally considered too dangerous to snorkel. Visitors can observe the site from the shore at low tide, particularly the two large boilers. Tip: Although it’s not a shipwreck, divers in Exmouth should not miss diving the Exmouth Navy Pier, a site that’s heaving with marine life.
Mildura Shipwreck, Exmouth
The Houtman Abrolhos Islands
Perhaps the most famous of all shipwrecks in Australia is that of the Batavia. The flagship of the Dutch East India company collided with the Houtman Abrolhos Islands in 1629, and the subsequent mutiny saw the murder of over 100 survivors. The Batavia rests in just seven metres of water, and can only be dived or snorkelled in very calm conditions.
Scuba in the Aborolhos, Credit Disney+
Yanchep
Closer to Perth, the Alex T Brown is a four-masted wooden ship that wrecked on the beach north of Yanchep in 1917. The wreck is accessible even for walkers, and depending on the sand levels, is exposed to varying degrees.
Alex T Brown, Yanchep
Fremantle and Geraldton
For those that prefer to stay completely dry, Western Australia’s fascinating maritime history is presented best at two branches of the Western Australian Museum. In Fremantle, the WA Shipwrecks Museum houses the salvaged hull of the Batavia, plus countless other treasures, while the Museum of Geraldton includes artefacts from Batavia, Gilt Dragon, Zuytdorp, and Zeewijk.
Published August 2025.