Beacon Reef is the second of Daveys Bay's two shore-dive reefs and the more distinct of the pair, because a navigation beacon planted on its north-western corner tells you exactly where it is. The Scuba Doctor describes it as an underwater collection of tumbled rocks and slabs with lots of little holes and crannies – a fair summary of a low sandstone reef in 3–5 m whose broken structure is its attraction. Small fish gather in the gaps between the slabs: hulafish, bullseyes, magpie perch, juvenile sweep and the ubiquitous leatherjackets, while the undersides of the larger rocks hide decorator crabs, hermit crabs, small octopus and the occasional shy blue-ringed octopus that makes any Port Phillip rummage worth doing with your hands to yourself.

Abalone and sea urchins sit in the shaded crevices, and kelp and seagrass round out the habitat. The sand between reef and beach is not empty either, with flathead, fiddler rays and stingarees settling in the seagrass edge. The dive is shallow enough to be done comfortably on snorkel, and that is how many people use it; with a tank it becomes an unhurried 45-minute crawl over the whole reef with time to look under every slab.

Pelican Point Reef lies 300 m to the north-east across the bay and the two are easily combined. The site's value is as a safe, sheltered training and family site on a stretch of the eastern bay that has few natural reefs; it is also a pleasant night dive for those who know the entry. Access via the bluff track is the only real exertion, and there are no facilities beyond the car park.

It will not satisfy anyone chasing depth, but for a first sea dive from shore it is one of the better options between Frankston and Mornington.

Follow Daveys Bay Road, Mount Eliza (off Old Mornington Road, west of the Nepean Highway) to the public car park at its end above the Daveys Bay Yacht Club. Take the track and steps down the bluff to the beach, roughly 100 m with a steep climb back. Enter from the beach and swim south-west along the shore, or surface-swim directly toward the beacon, which marks the north-western edge of the reef about 100–150 m out.

Descend beside the beacon and work back inshore over the rocks. Exit onto the beach; parking is limited on summer weekends.

Like the rest of Daveys Bay the reef is exposed to westerly and north-westerly winds, which build a short chop and cloud the water; it is partly sheltered from the south-west by the headland. Dive on easterly through light southerly winds, ideally at or near high tide so there is comfortable clearance over the boulder tops. No current.

Avoid the days after heavy rain when cliff-coast run-off discolours the shallows. Yacht racing and dinghy traffic on summer weekends pass close to the beacon, so tow a flag and stay near the bottom when crossing open water.

Surface-swim from the beach to the beacon, descend in 4–5 m and circle the reef clockwise with the rock on the right, checking the slabs and holes for crabs, octopus and small fish. Turn back toward shore when a third of your gas is used, cross the seagrass flat at 2–3 m and surface close to the beach.

No regular operator; independent divers, snorkellers and occasional Frankston dive-shop introductory sessions.