Rockingham has over 40km of magnificent open water to explore via scuba diving or snorkelling, with a range of locations suitable for all ages and levels of ability.
The Churchill Park Dive Trail is ideal for shore diving, located about a 60m wade out from the Rockingham Foreshore and easily accessed via Flinders Lane car park. The trail features a collection of small wrecks, small airplanes, a chicken coop and a tyre reef, heavily encrusted with soft corals, tube worms, sponges and other forms of marine life. Be sure to look out for the striking Western Australian sea horses here, alongside wrasse, blennies, sea stars, eels and more.
Point Peron offers some of the best shore diving and snorkelling in the region, with it's limestone headland dotted with caves and swim throughs, plus lush seagrass meadows set in crystal clear water. Across the marine park, the Little Penguin Trail located at Penguin Island's southern beaches is also ideal for snorkelling, packed with marine life - catch the ferry across to the island via Mersey Point to access this trail.
The Saxon Ranger Dive Wreck is located offshore in Warnbro Sound within the boundaries of the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park and is part of the West Coast Dive Park. The wreck can be reached by boat via Carlisle Street boat ramp, Donald Drive boat ramp and Port Kennedy boat launching facility. GPS coordinates identifying the wreck location are available on the marine signage boards at all boat launching facilities adjacent to Warnbro Sound.
You must purchase a recreational dive permit to dive the Saxon Ranger. The permit cost is based on a vessel carrying up to four divers at a time with a two hour time limit on the moorings. The permit must be displayed on the vessel and is available from the Rockingham Visitor Centre and local dive shops.
Other scuba dive sites in the area include:
- The D9
- The Orizaba
- The Five Fathom Bank
- First Rock
- The Sisters
Check out the Diving and Snorkelling Guide for more details and contact the Rockingham Visitor Centre for more information.