Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Bittangabee Bay
Eden & Green Cape, New South Wales · near Eden
| Depth | 1–10 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Snorkel/Any |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Walk-in from the small beach |
| Current | None |
| Visibility | 6–15 m m |
| Water | summer 17–20 °C °C, winter 12–14 °C °C |
| Suit | 7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves, or drysuit, for most of the year; 5 mm only in late summer |
| Best season | Calm summer and autumn days |
| Bottom time | 50 min |
| Position | -37.21300, 150.01900 (approximate) |
| Permit | None required – no marine park; Beowa National Park onshore (park fees for vehicle entry) |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Bittangabee Bay
Also known as Bittangabee
Secluded enclosed bay with whaling-era ruins on the Light to Light walk.
Near Eden · Eden & Green Cape, New South Wales
- Depth
- 1–10 m
- Minimum level
- Snorkel/Any
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- Shore entry
- Water
- 17–20 °C
- Visibility
- 6–15 m
Bittangabee Bay1–10 m · Snorkel/Any · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, December.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 1–10 m
- Typical depth
- 4 m
- Certification
- Snorkel/Any
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Yes
- Current
- None
- Visibility
- 6–15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 17–20 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 12–14 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 50 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- Yes
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves, or drysuit, for most of the year; 5 mm only in late summer
Location
Beowa National Park south (Green Cape) · Eden – Twofold Bay & Green Cape
-37.21300, 150.01900
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: nationalparks.nsw.gov.auMarine park & permits
None required – no marine park; Beowa National Park onshore (park fees for vehicle entry)
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Bittangabee Bay →
A day-by-day plan for Eden & Green Cape 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
Bittangabee Bay is a shore / rock platform shore dive you can do independently in Eden & Green Cape, NSW, 1–10 m, suitable for snorkellers and first-time divers.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Why dive here
- Secluded enclosed bay with whaling-era ruins on the Light to Light walk.
- Snorkel-friendly, so non-diving companions can join at the surface.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
About Bittangabee Bay
Bittangabee Bay is a small, enclosed rocky bay in the Green Cape area of Beowa National Park, about 25 km south of Eden, with an NPWS campground and the ruins of a stone storehouse built by the Imlay brothers in the 1840s for their whaling operation. NPWS describes it as a rocky enclosed bay with a small beach, offering secluded swimming and kayaking, and notes whale watching from September to November. In 1911 one of the SS New Guinea's lifeboats put into Bittangabee after the wreck at Green Cape.
The bay's rocky sides have kelp, crayweed and urchin barrens, with boulders and sand towards the entrance. Expect blue groper, luderick, drummer, sweep, leatherjackets and wrasse, with stingrays on the sand and octopus and nudibranchs in the rocks. The far south coast's cool water supports good kelp growth and, at times, excellent visibility.
The bay suits snorkellers and campers on calm days, and it is a staging point for walkers on the Light to Light track between Boyd's Tower and Green Cape. For scuba divers with a boat, the Green Cape wrecks (Ly-ee-Moon, City of Sydney and New Guinea) are a few kilometres south, but they need exceptional conditions. The remoteness means self-sufficiency is essential. The Green Cape lighthouse, a short drive away, has NPWS accommodation in the old keepers' cottages and a small cemetery for victims of the Ly-ee-Moon. The campground books out in holidays.
Getting there & entry
Rocky enclosed bay with a small beach and historic ruins in the Green Cape area of Beowa National Park, about 25 km south of Eden; secluded swimming and snorkelling, and a small-boat refuge.
From Eden drive south on the Princes Highway, turn left onto Edrom Road and then follow the unsealed Green Cape Road through Beowa National Park; turn off to Bittangabee campground and day-use area (park fees apply). A short walk leads down to the small beach. There are no dive services; carry all gear and fills from Eden.
The bay was used as a refuge by the New Guinea's lifeboat crew in 1911.
Entry: Walk-in from the small beach
Facilities: NPWS campground and day-use area with toilets (park fees); no shops – nearest Eden.
Weather, swell & tides
NPWS describes Bittangabee as a rocky enclosed bay with a small beach, offering secluded swimming and kayaking. Its enclosed shape gives shelter from most swell, but a big easterly or south-easterly swell will still surge into it. The area is remote; check NPWS alerts for road and campground closures.
Visibility is often good given the lack of rivers nearby.
Best season: Calm summer and autumn days
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Bittangabee Bay doesn't.
- SS New Guinea · 5 km · Max 10 m
- Wonboyn · 7 km · Max 5 m
- Olive Cam · 7 km · Max 9 m
- Quarantine Bay · 16 km · Max 8 m
How the dive is usually run
Enter from the beach and snorkel or dive along the rocky sides of the bay towards the entrance at 3–8 m, staying inside the bay unless conditions outside are flat, and return to the beach.
Marine life
- Blue groper →
- luderick
- drummer
- sweep
- leatherjackets
- wrasse
- stingrays
- octopus →
- nudibranchs →
- kelp; whales offshore Sep–Nov
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
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
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
Remote; unsealed road; no services; swell can enter the bay. Check NPWS alerts.
Dive centres that go here
No operator; visited independently by campers and snorkellers.
Operators recorded for Bittangabee Bay
Dive Eden
ProfiledEden · Merimbula · NSW
An Eden operator running boat, wreck, wharf and cave dives around Twofold Bay, with Try Scuba to Advanced courses and studio accommodation near Cocora Beach.
diveeden.com.au · 0410 026 990
Merimbula Divers Lodge
Reported closedMerimbula · Merimbula · NSW
An SSI dive centre with its own accommodation, classroom, shop, air and Nitrox and a purpose-built boat, running small classes on the far south coast.
Other dive centres in Eden & Green Cape
Sapphire Coast Scuba
ProfiledEden · Merimbula · NSW
An Eden-based operation offering PADI Open Water training, guided dives for certified divers, equipment hire and air fills.
sapphirecoastscuba.com · 0488 519 316
Wilderness Sea n' Ski
ListedLiverpool · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
A far south coast business providing equipment and dive services. Range and training availability require verification.
wilderness.net.au · (02) 9822 4112
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views
Bittangabee Bay: frequently asked questions
How deep is Bittangabee Bay?
Bittangabee Bay reaches a maximum depth of 10 m, with the shallowest part at about 1 m; most of the dive is spent around 4 m.
What certification do I need to dive Bittangabee Bay?
No certification is needed to snorkel it, and it suits introductory dives. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Can I shore dive Bittangabee Bay?
Yes. Bittangabee Bay is a shore dive that can be done independently: walk-in from the small beach.
When is the best time to dive Bittangabee Bay?
Calm summer and autumn days.
What marine life will I see at Bittangabee Bay?
Regularly recorded: Blue groper, luderick, drummer, sweep, leatherjackets, wrasse, stingrays, octopus, nudibranchs, kelp; whales offshore Sep–Nov.
What wetsuit do I need at Bittangabee Bay?
7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves, or drysuit, for most of the year; 5 mm only in late summer.
How cold is the water at Bittangabee Bay?
Typically 17–20 °C in summer and 12–14 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Bittangabee Bay?
Remote; unsealed road; no services; swell can enter the bay. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Bittangabee Bay?
Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Eden & Green Cape
The far south coast around Eden is cold, clear and rarely crowded. Twofold Bay has the SS Empire Gladstone and the Tasman Hauler wrecks in shallow water, the Pinnacles at Merimbula sit just to the north, and Green Cape, at the southern tip of the state, has the Ly-ee-Moon wreck, seals and some of the best visibility in NSW.
Getting there: Six hours from Sydney or Melbourne. Eden has a dive shop with a charter boat; several Twofold Bay sites are shore dives from the Quarantine Bay and Cocora Beach car parks.
All Eden & Green Cape dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
- nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/swimming-spots/bittangabee-bay/learn-more
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=91
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: No dive source; coordinates approximate.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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