Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)
Perth, Western Australia · near Bicton
| Depth | 7–8.5 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Collapsed boat ramp near the Sea Scouts mast, 70 m swim |
| Current | Variable/Tidal |
| Visibility | 1–6 m |
| Water | summer 22–26 °C, winter 13–17 °C |
| Suit | 5–7 mm wetsuit; 7 mm or drysuit in winter |
| Best season | Neap tides, dry weather |
| Bottom time | 50 min |
| Position | -32.02745, 115.77097 (GPS) |
| Permit | None. Swan River regulations apply. |
| Nearest chamber | Fiona Stanley Hospital hyperbaric medicine unit (Murdoch, Perth) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)
Also known as ALC 40, Australian Landing Craft 40, Gay Dragon, Chinese Junk wreck
A WWII landing craft and a sunken junk-style pleasure boat that together are the Swan River's most reliable seahorse site.
Near Bicton · Perth, Western Australia
- Depth
- 7–8.5 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- Shore entry
- Water
- 22–26 °C
- Visibility
- 1–6 m
ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)7–8.5 m · Open Water · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: May, June, July, August, September, October.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 7–8.5 m
- Typical depth
- 8.5 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Offshore
- 0.07 km
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Yes
- Current
- Variable/Tidal
- Visibility
- 1–6 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 22–26 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 13–17 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 50 min
- Dive traffic
- Popular (weekly charters)
- Night dive
- Yes
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
5–7 mm wetsuit; 7 mm or drysuit in winter
Location
Bicton – Point Roe narrows · Perth Metro – Swan River
-32.02745, 115.77097
Published GPS position.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: divingwawrecks.comMarine park & permits
None. Swan River regulations apply.
Nearest recompression chamber
Fiona Stanley Hospital hyperbaric medicine unit (Murdoch, Perth)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton) →
A day-by-day plan for Perth with this site locked in.
This guide is a planning aid. Conditions change daily — confirm with a local dive centre and dive within your training. Data & safety notes.
Dive profile
How this site rates
Scores are computed from the recorded data, not opinions. How?
At a glance
ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton) is a wreck shore dive you can do independently in Perth, WA, 7–8.5 m, suited to Open Water divers, variable/tidal current.
Rated intermediate because of tidal current that must be timed, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Why dive here
- A WWII landing craft and a sunken junk-style pleasure boat that together are the Swan River's most reliable seahorse site.
- Sunk in 1943; protected as underwater cultural heritage, so look but do not touch.
- Commonly dived at night, when octopus, cuttlefish and crustaceans are out.
About ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)
Two small wrecks off the Bicton shore are among the most reliable places in the Swan River to find seahorses. The ALC40 was an Australian Army landing craft of the Second World War, operated by the 43rd Landing Craft Company. She broke her mooring in a storm in 1943 and sank where she lies, in 8.5 m about 70 m from shore. The steel hull measures 18.5 m by 5.5 m but rises only a foot or two above the riverbed, so it is easy to swim over without noticing. It is, however, covered in life.
A few metres east lies the Gay Dragon, a privately owned wooden pleasure craft built to look like a Chinese junk, which sank on its mooring in the 1980s or early 1990s. Very little remains apart from upright ribs, the engine block and a fuel tank, spread over about 8 m by 2 m. Divingwawrecks says the site is almost guaranteed for seahorses and regarded as the most popular place to find them in the river.
Besides seahorses, the wrecks hold nudibranchs, anemones, gobies, blennies, bream, porcupinefish and crabs, and they are good at night.
The wrecks lie in a river bottleneck with slight currents almost always present, and visibility can drop to under a metre with the tide. They suit Open Water divers with compass skills and patience.
River temperatures swing more than the ocean: about 22–26 °C in late summer but as low as 13–15 °C in winter, when a 7 mm suit or drysuit makes a long dive more comfortable. Rinse gear well afterwards, as the estuary water is often high in organic matter.
Wreck details
ALC40: steel WWII Australian Army landing craft, 18.5 m x 5.5 m; Gay Dragon: timber junk-style pleasure craft (sank 1980s–90s) · Sunk 1943 · Protected historic shipwreck
Era: Second World War. Oldest wrecks · Wartime wrecks · Scuttled warships
Other wrecks of the same era
- Uribes Wreck · Max 4 m · Rottnest Island
- Town Beach Flying Boat Wrecks (low-tide walk) · Max 1 m · Broome & Kimberley
- Roebuck Bay Flying Boat Wrecks (deep-water Catalinas) · Max 14 m · Broome & Kimberley
- HNLMS K XI Submarine Wreck · Max 38 m · Rottnest Island
- Shark Hopper Barge (Henrietta Rocks) · Max 4 m · Rottnest Island
- Ahwina Tug Wreck (Gull Rock) · Max 3 m · Albany & Great Southern
Getting there & entry
A WWII Australian Army landing craft and the remains of a junk-style pleasure boat in 8.5 m, about 70 m off the Sea Scouts hall on Jerrat Drive, Bicton.
Drive to the Sea Scouts hall on Jerrat Drive, Bicton, near Bicton Baths, about 10 minutes from Fremantle. Park nearby, kit up and enter via the collapsed boat ramp beside the scouts' mast. The ALC40 lies about 70 m from shore at S 32°01.647' E 115°46.258', and the Gay Dragon is a few tens of metres east at S 32°01.653' E 115°46.284'.
Tow a flag on the swim.
Entry: Collapsed boat ramp near the Sea Scouts mast, 70 m swim
Facilities: Street parking near the Sea Scouts hall; toilets at Bicton Baths nearby.
Weather, swell & tides
Sheltered from ocean swell. The wrecks lie in a bottleneck of the river opposite Point Roe, so slight currents are almost always present; neap tides and slack water are best. Visibility varies from about 6 m to less than 1 m depending on the tide and rainfall.
Boat traffic is heaviest on warm weekend afternoons, so early mornings and evenings are calmer.
Best season: Neap tides, dry weather
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton) doesn't.
- Cottesloe Pylon · 4 km · Max 4 m
- Peters Pool (North Cottesloe) · 5 km · Max 5 m
- Omeo Wreck & Coogee Maritime Trail · 9 km · Max 7 m
- Ammo Jetty · 12 km · Max 9 m
How the dive is usually run
Swim or descend from the collapsed ramp on a compass bearing to the ALC40 at 8.5 m, circle it slowly searching for seahorses, then move east to the Gay Dragon's ribs, engine block and fuel tank. Return to the ramp on the reciprocal bearing.
Marine life
- West Australian seahorses →
- nudibranchs →
- anemones
- gobies
- blennies
- black bream
- porcupinefish
- crabs
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Shallow enough for snorkellers and for a first dive under supervision. Any certified diver can dive it.
Courses that help here
- Night Diver – Commonly dived at night.
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
- Underwater Navigation – Navigation is part of the dive plan.
- Peak Performance Buoyancy – Silt and low visibility punish poor trim.
Depth tiers: 0–10 m easy · to 18 m Open Water · 18–30 m Advanced (25 m+ is a deep dive) · 30–40 m Deep specialty · 40 m+ technical. All courses
Hazards & warnings
Tidal currents; boat traffic, so tow a flag; low visibility and silt; the low-profile ALC40 is easy to miss, so navigate carefully; sharp metal.
Dive centres that go here
Dived independently and on club and shop night dives, often together with Bicton Baths.
Operators recorded for ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)
Perth Scuba
ProfiledCanning Vale · Perth · WA
One of the most fully documented operations in Western Australia, covering recreational, professional, technical and freediving training alongside substantial equipment facilities.
perthscuba.com · (08) 9455 4448
Dolphin Scuba Diving
ProfiledWelshpool · Perth · WA
A Perth business providing training, equipment and service support.
dolphinscuba.com.au · (08) 9353 2488
Bucket List Diver
Named by sitesFremantle · Perth · WA
bucketlistdiver.com · (08) 9200 4447
UWA Underwater Club
Named by sitesCrawley · Rottnest Island · WA
University of Western Australia dive club (operating since 1968); club, not a shop.
uwauc.org.au
Other dive centres in Perth
ADRENO Perth
ListedO'Connor · Perth · WA
An equipment retailer with a spearfishing and freediving emphasis. Primarily retail rather than a training centre.
adreno.com.au/pages/contact-us-perth · (08) 6424 8480
Dive Imports
ListedMt Hawthorn · Perth · WA
A Perth equipment business. Retail range, servicing and training availability require verification.
diveimports.com · (08) 9443 1657
Dolphin Dive Fremantle
ListedSouth Fremantle · Perth · WA
A Fremantle operation serving local divers, with proximity to Rottnest Island departures.
dolphindive.com.au
Perth Diving Academy
ListedHillarys · Perth · WA
A Perth training business serving the metropolitan recreational market.
perthdiving.com.au · (08) 9448 6343
Spear West
ListedPerth · WA
A Perth spearfishing and freediving business. This serves a different customer from a conventional scuba centre.
spearwest.com.au · 0411 063 351
Image Dive & Charters
Named by sitesHillarys · Perth · WA
Image Dive Pty Ltd trading as Image Dive and Charters; boat dive charters from Hillarys.
imagedive.com.au · 0417 957 870
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton): frequently asked questions
How deep is ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton) reaches a maximum depth of 8.5 m, with the shallowest part at about 7 m; most of the dive is spent around 8.5 m.
What certification do I need to dive ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of tidal current that must be timed, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Can I shore dive ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
Yes. ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton) is a shore dive that can be done independently: collapsed boat ramp near the Sea Scouts mast, 70 m swim.
When is the best time to dive ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
Neap tides, dry weather.
What marine life will I see at ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
Regularly recorded: West Australian seahorses, nudibranchs, anemones, gobies, blennies, black bream, porcupinefish, crabs.
What wetsuit do I need at ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
5–7 mm wetsuit; 7 mm or drysuit in winter.
How cold is the water at ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
Typically 22–26 °C in summer and 13–17 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
Tidal currents; boat traffic, so tow a flag; low visibility and silt; the low-profile ALC40 is easy to miss, so navigate carefully; sharp metal. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Can you night dive ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton)?
Yes, ALC40 & Gay Dragon Wrecks (Bicton) is commonly dived at night.
Diving in Perth
Perth's metropolitan coast from Rockingham to Mindarie has limestone reef ledges, caves and swim-throughs in 5–20 m, the wreck trails at Rockingham and Coogee (Omeo, the Saxon Ranger, the Kwinana Grain Jetty), the Blackwall Reach river dive, and dozens of easy shore entries. Tropical fish arrive on the Leeuwin Current each summer to join the temperate regulars.
Getting there: All within an hour of the city with beach car parks; charters from Fremantle, Hillarys and Mindarie for the offshore reefs.
Sources
Data confidence: High · Being verified: Divingwawrecks Swan River index gives sinking year 1942; the Bicton page says 1943.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
Nearby dive sites
More wrecks in Western Australia
Explore more
This region
Similar dives
Marine life











