The Camilla is one of the oldest wrecks in the Perth area and one of the least visited. She was launched in 1834 as a 190-ton two-masted timber schooner and traded in northern European waters before coming to Australia. She worked out of Tasmania, then from 1892 at Albany as a hulk and barge, and was at Fremantle by 1897. In 1903 the hull was condemned and ordered to be beached beyond Woodman Point, where she seems to have been burnt to the waterline and left to sink.

Little timber survived the burning. What remains is iron framing and deck supports scattered over a sandy bottom in about 3 m, 80 m off Challenger Beach. In summer, weed can cover much of it. Small fish, crabs and the odd octopus use the ironwork, but there is not much reef life.

Howies calls it somewhat pointless, and for most divers that is a fair summary. Its value is historical: a vessel built in the reign of William IV, with a working life that spans the North Sea and three Australian colonies, now lies in snorkelling depth on a suburban beach. It suits divers and snorkellers interested in maritime archaeology, or anyone combining it with other Cockburn Sound shore dives.

The GPS figure published for the Camilla duplicates that of the D9 dredge offshore, so it is left blank until confirmed. The site falls under historic shipwreck protection: do not remove anything.

From Cockburn Road at Naval Base turn onto Sutton Road towards Challenger Beach. Park in the second-southernmost car park on Sutton Road. From the beach, the wreck lies about 80 m offshore in line with the second dolphin (mooring structure) on the Alcoa jetty; take a bearing before you swim.

The Naval Base boat ramp is nearby, so watch for launching boats and jet skis. It is about 30 minutes from Fremantle.

Cockburn Sound protects the site from ocean swell, so the main factors are wind and weed. Easterly winds give the calmest water and best visibility. Westerly and south-westerly sea breezes chop up the shallow water, and the fine sediment means visibility swings from 1 m to 10 m.

Seasonal weed growth can cover much of the site in warmer months.

Swim out on the bearing towards the second Alcoa jetty dolphin and descend on the scattered iron frames in 3 m. Circle the site slowly, looking at the framing and deck supports, then return to the beach. This is a short, shallow dive or snorkel.

No operator. Occasionally visited by wreck enthusiasts and snorkellers.