Frenchman Bay, on the southern shore of King George Sound, was the site of Australia's last operating whaling station, run by the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company until November 1978 and now the Albany Historic Whaling Station at Discovery Bay. The bay is sheltered from the Southern Ocean by Flinders Peninsula, and its beaches and coves offer some of the easiest snorkelling around Albany.

Whaling Cove, beside the station, is a small, well-protected cove with crystal-clear water surrounded by large granite boulders; local guides rate it among the best snorkelling spots in the region. The granite continues underwater as boulders and gutters in 2-8 m, with kelp, sponges and encrusting algae and a good population of reef fish – herring, sweep, old wives, wrasse, scalyfin, leatherjackets and blue groper – with rays over the sand. At Frenchman Bay beach itself, the granite rocks at the eastern end form a sheltered cove with abundant marine life.

The bay also has a history of shipwrecks. The wooden barque Fanny Nicholson ran ashore here in 1872, the Runnymede in 1881, and several whaling-station craft were abandoned in the shallows, including the oil-lighter Elvie and an iron water-lighter off Whalers Beach. A WA Museum survey found the Elvie and the water-lighter virtually buried in sand and could not locate the others because of winter sand build-up, so they are rarely visible.

This is a snorkel and easy shore-dive location for families and newer divers, best combined with a visit to the whaling station, where the whale chaser Cheynes IV – sister ship of the Cheynes III dive wreck – is displayed on land.

From Albany follow Frenchman Bay Road south-west around Princess Royal Harbour and onto Flinders Peninsula (about 20 km, 25 minutes). Frenchman Bay beach and the caravan park are on the left; continue to the end of the road for Discovery Bay (the old whaling station) and Whaling Cove, where a car park sits above a small beach reached by a short path. For Frenchman Bay beach, park at the foreshore and walk to the granite rocks at the eastern end.

Goode Beach is further west along the same road.

Frenchman Bay faces north-east into King George Sound and is sheltered from the Southern Ocean swell by Flinders Peninsula, so it is usually calm. Strong north-easterly to easterly winds blow onto the beaches and make the water choppy and cloudy. Winter north-westerly fronts can also push chop into the western end.

Sand movement in winter buries the historic wrecks along Whalers Beach.

At Whaling Cove, enter from the small beach and snorkel or dive along the granite boulders on either side to 5-8 m. At Frenchman Bay beach, follow the granite at the eastern end of the beach along the sheltered cove.

No operator – independent snorkelling and shore diving. Discovery Bay (Albany Historic Whaling Station) is the nearby attraction.