The town of Cervantes takes its name from this wreck. The Cervantes was a 232-ton, 28 m whaling barque built in 1836 in Bath, Maine, and registered in New London. On her second voyage to Western Australia she whaled in Geographe Bay, and in 1844, while anchored off the mid-west coast with her crew fishing, she was caught by a gale; before the crew could get her to sea she went aground on a sandbar near what is now Cervantes Island.

divingwawrecks describes the lower hull section still upright on the sand in about 3 m, with the timber keel and structural members spread across the site and copper nails protruding from well-preserved timber in places. Sand worms seasonally colonise the surrounding flats.

It is a shallow, sheltered and easy snorkel that suits families and history enthusiasts with access to a small boat. Visibility is variable. The wreck is protected historic material – nothing may be removed. Cervantes is also the gateway to the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park and the Cervantes Islands sanctuary zone of the Jurien Bay Marine Park.

Practical notes: a small tinny or kayak is adequate for the short trip from the foreshore, but check the forecast for the sea breeze, which arrives by late morning in summer and makes the return run choppy. Because the remains are low-lying timber on sand, polarised sunglasses help spot the site from the surface on a bright day. The wreck is one of the earliest American whaling losses on the Western Australian coast, and a good example of the many foreign whalers that worked these waters in the 1840s.

Cervantes is about 200 km (2 hours 15 minutes) north of Perth via the Indian Ocean Drive. Launch small boats from the Cervantes foreshore beach on the north side of Thirsty Point; the wreck lies a few minutes away, about 900 m north-north-east of Cervantes Island at S 30° 30.802', E 115° 03.000'. Anchor in sand beside the site.

The Turquoise Coast is protected by a line of offshore limestone reefs and islands that break the prevailing south-westerly swell, creating a lagoon of calm, clear water inshore. The main enemy is wind: the strong southerly sea breeze ('Fremantle Doctor') blows most summer afternoons from about 11 am, and winter north-westerly fronts bring storms and poor visibility. Mornings from October to April are best. divingwawrecks notes the site is protected from swell and best dived in light winds; visibility ranges from 1 to 10 m and drops quickly when the sea breeze stirs the sand.

Anchor in sand beside the wreck, snorkel or dive along the exposed keel and lower hull, noting the copper nails in the timbers, then circle the debris on the sand.

No operator – private boats; suitable for snorkelling.