Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Disaster Bay
Eden & Green Cape, New South Wales · near Wonboyn
| Depth | Depth not published |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 10–20 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 | Settled late summer to winter westerly spells |
| Position | -37.29000, 149.98000 (approximate) |
| Permit | None required – no marine park; Nadgee Nature Reserve and Beowa National Park onshore |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Disaster Bay
Also known as Disaster Bay Wonboyn
Wild, rarely dived bay on the far south coast between Green Cape and Cape Howe.
Near Wonboyn · Eden & Green Cape, New South Wales
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Water
- 17–20 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
Disaster BayDepth not published · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, June, July, August, December.
Dive facts
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Access
- Boat
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 17–20 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 12–14 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Dive traffic
- Remote/expedition only
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves, or drysuit, for most of the year; 5 mm only in late summer
Location
Green Cape – Disaster Bay · Eden – Twofold Bay & Green Cape
-37.29000, 149.98000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoMarine park & permits
None required – no marine park; Nadgee Nature Reserve and Beowa National Park onshore
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 Disaster 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
Disaster Bay is a reef boat dive in Eden & Green Cape, NSW, suited to Open Water divers, about 20 minutes by boat.
Rated advanced because of cold water.
Why dive here
- Wild, rarely dived bay on the far south coast between Green Cape and Cape Howe.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 10–20 m.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
About Disaster Bay
Disaster Bay is the broad bay south-west of Green Cape, extending towards Cape Howe and the Victorian border. It fronts Wonboyn Beach and the wilderness of Nadgee Nature Reserve. It was named by early navigators, and the Green Cape wrecks (Ly-ee-Moon, City of Sydney and New Guinea) lie on its northern headland. The NSW Heritage Office's Shipwrecks of Twofold Bay/Disaster Bay (Tim Smith, 1996), cited by McFadyen, covers the maritime history.
The bay's shores are a mix of long sandy beaches and rocky headlands. Reefs off the headlands can be expected to have the cool-water kelp, sponges and fish life typical of the far south coast: blue groper, drummer, luderick, sweep, wrasse, leatherjackets, magpie morwong and bastard trumpeter, with fur seals and occasional great white sharks, which are known in these waters. Visibility can be excellent on calm days, and whales pass along the coast in spring.
The bay is only practical for well-equipped divers with a small boat, launching at Wonboyn and timing the bar crossing for a high tide. McFadyen describes this approach as the best way to reach the Green Cape wrecks. Anyone considering it should plan for self-rescue, carry oxygen and a VHF radio, and leave details with someone ashore. Mobile phone coverage is patchy at best along this coast. The bay's name alone is a reminder of how quickly conditions can turn on this stretch of coast. Plan conservatively and turn back early.
Getting there & entry
Large open bay between Green Cape and Cape Howe, fronting Wonboyn Beach and Nadgee Nature Reserve; remote reefs dived only from private boats in calm weather.
Boat access only in practice. Small boats launch at Wonboyn Lake and cross the Wonboyn bar, which is shallow and can only be crossed within about two hours either side of a high tide of 1.8 m or more (McFadyen); Disaster Bay opens immediately outside. From Eden it is a long run past Green Cape.
By road, Wonboyn is reached from the Princes Highway south of Eden via Wonboyn Road.
Entry: Giant stride from boat
Facilities: Wonboyn village store, cabins and boat ramp on Wonboyn Lake.
Weather, swell & tides
Disaster Bay faces south-east and takes southerly and easterly swell; it is sheltered from north-easterlies by Green Cape. The Wonboyn bar tide window and the need for no southerly swell make trips rare. Weather changes quickly this far south, and there is no help nearby.
Best season: Settled late summer to winter westerly spells
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Disaster Bay doesn't.
- Wonboyn · 4 km · Max 5 m
- SS New Guinea · 6 km · Max 10 m
- Bittangabee Bay · 9 km · Max 10 m
- Olive Cam · 16 km · Max 9 m
How the dive is usually run
Exploratory only: anchor on reef under the Green Cape side of the bay in calm conditions, dive conservatively from the anchor line and return to it. Carry an SMB and VHF radio, and set a conservative turn pressure.
Marine life
- Expected: blue groper →
- drummer
- luderick
- sweep
- wrasse
- leatherjackets
- magpie morwong
- bastard trumpeter
- kelp
- sponges
- fur seals →
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
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; hazardous Wonboyn bar; rapid weather change; sharks (including great whites) in the region; no nearby help.
Technical notes
Remote-diving safety equipment essential (oxygen, VHF, EPIRB).
Dive centres that go here
No operator runs dives in Disaster Bay. Private boats from Wonboyn only.
Operators recorded for Disaster 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
Disaster Bay: frequently asked questions
What certification do I need to dive Disaster Bay?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated advanced because of cold water.
Can I shore dive Disaster Bay?
No, it is reached by boat (about 20 minutes).
When is the best time to dive Disaster Bay?
Settled late summer to winter westerly spells.
What marine life will I see at Disaster Bay?
Regularly recorded: Expected: blue groper, drummer, luderick, sweep, wrasse, leatherjackets, magpie morwong, bastard trumpeter, kelp, sponges, fur seals.
What wetsuit do I need at Disaster 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 Disaster Bay?
Typically 17–20 °C in summer and 12–14 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Disaster Bay?
Remote; hazardous Wonboyn bar; rapid weather change; sharks (including great whites) in the region; no nearby help. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Disaster 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
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=91
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=88
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=90
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: No dive-specific source; coordinates approximate (centre of bay).. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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