Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Gannet Rock
Geographe Bay & Busselton, Western Australia · near Dunsborough
| Depth | 1–4 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Snorkel/Any |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Walk-in from the beach |
| Current | None |
| Visibility | 5-15 m |
| Water | summer 20-23 °C, winter 16-18 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm wetsuit in summer; 5-7 mm in winter |
| Best season | Summer and autumn (December-May) with morning easterly winds |
| Bottom time | 50 min |
| Position | -33.56500, 115.08000 (approximate) |
| Permit | Ngari Capes Marine Park (check zoning); Meelup Regional Park |
| Nearest chamber | Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Gannet Rock
Also known as Gannet Rock (Dunsborough)
A short swim to a small granite rock in 3-4 m - an easy snorkel and a good night dive near Eagle Bay.
Near Dunsborough · Geographe Bay & Busselton, Western Australia
- Depth
- 1–4 m
- Minimum level
- Snorkel/Any
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- Shore entry
- Water
- 20-23 °C
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
Gannet Rock1–4 m · Snorkel/Any · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, December.
Summer and autumn (December-May) with morning easterly winds
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 1–4 m
- Typical depth
- 3 m
- Certification
- Snorkel/Any
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Offshore
- 0.05 km
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Yes
- Current
- None
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 20-23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 16-18 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 50 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- Yes
Exposure suit
3-5 mm wetsuit in summer; 5-7 mm in winter
Location
Meelup Regional Park (near Eagle Bay) · South West WA - Dunsborough, Geographe Bay & Cape Naturaliste
-33.56500, 115.08000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: marinelife.org.auMarine park & permits
Ngari Capes Marine Park (check zoning); Meelup Regional Park
Nearest recompression chamber
Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Gannet Rock →
A day-by-day plan for Geographe Bay & Busselton 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
Gannet Rock is a shore / rock platform shore dive you can do independently in Geographe Bay & Busselton, WA, 1–4 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 boat traffic overhead.
Why dive here
- A short swim to a small granite rock in 3-4 m - an easy snorkel and a good night dive near Eagle Bay.
- Snorkel-friendly, so non-diving companions can join at the surface.
Conditions to avoid
- Afternoon north-easterlies
- Strong westerlies
- Strong northerlies
About Gannet Rock
Gannet Rock is a small, easy site within Meelup Regional Park. Marinelife.org.au describes a small rock about 80 m from shore near Eagle Bay in 3-4 m, reached via an unsealed track off the Eagle Bay-Meelup road, usually protected and good for a snorkel or night dive, with small marine life and fish. It warns that the rock is usually covered with anglers and lost fishing gear. Meelup Park lists Gannet Rock and its rocky outcrops as having an array of species for snorkelling and diving exploration, and a south-west snorkelling guide includes it among the Cape Naturaliste-to-Geographe Bay spots.
The short swim, shallow depth and shelter make it a relaxed dive for beginners and a good night dive, when octopus, crabs and small fish are active. Granite boulders around the rock create cracks and overhangs for wrasse, blennies and juvenile fish, and seagrass surrounds the base.
The main hazard is fishing line: because the rock is a popular fishing spot, hooks, sinkers and line tangle on the boulders, so carry a cutting tool and give anglers a wide berth. Dive early or late when fewer people are fishing. The site suits snorkellers, new divers and night divers staying around Dunsborough.
Geographe Bay faces north, so Cape Naturaliste blocks most of the prevailing south-westerly swell and sea breeze that close the ocean coast; that shelter and the warm Leeuwin Current make the Dunsborough shoreline one of the most reliably diveable stretches of the South West, and winter north-westerly storms are the main thing that shuts it down.
Getting there & entry
Small rock about 80 m offshore near Eagle Bay in Meelup Regional Park, in 3-4 m, usually protected and good for snorkelling and night dives.
From Dunsborough town centre follow Geographe Bay Road and Cape Naturaliste Road north-west; the Meelup Regional Park beaches are signposted off Meelup Beach Road and Eagle Bay-Meelup Road, 3-10 km from town (5-15 minutes' drive). Gannet Rock is reached by an unsealed track off Eagle Bay-Meelup Road near Eagle Bay; park at the end of the track and walk down to the shore. Swim about 80 m out to the rock.
Entry: Walk-in from the beach
Facilities: Unsealed track and small parking area; no facilities - nearest at Meelup Beach or Eagle Bay.
Weather, swell & tides
Usually protected (marinelife.org.au) because it faces north-east into Geographe Bay; northerly and north-easterly winds bring chop. Calm evenings suit night dives. General pattern in Geographe Bay: sheltered from south-westerly swell by Cape Naturaliste; summer mornings are calm before the afternoon sea breeze, while winter north-westerly fronts roll swell and chop into the bay and reduce visibility for several days.
Best season: Summer and autumn (December-May) with morning easterly winds
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Gannet Rock doesn't.
- Meelup Beach · 1 km · Max 4 m
- Yallingup Lagoon · 10 km · Max 3 m
- Injidup Natural Spa · 17 km · Max 2 m
- Eagle Bay · 1 km · Max 3 m
How the dive is usually run
Swim 80 m out to the rock, circle it at 3-4 m looking into cracks and under boulders, then return to shore. Snorkellers should stay within easy reach of the exit point and swim with a buddy; scuba divers at these depths need no safety stop but should ascend slowly and surface near the float.
Marine life
- Western king wrasse
- blennies
- juvenile fish
- octopus →
- crabs
- sea urchins
- seagrass fauna
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.
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
Lost fishing line, hooks and sinkers - carry a cutting tool; anglers on the rock; boat traffic nearby.
Dive centres that go here
No operator needed - self-guided snorkel and shore dive. Swan Dive (Busselton) supplies hire gear and fills and can advise on conditions.
Operators recorded for Gannet Rock
Swan Dive
Named by sitesBusselton · Margaret River & Augusta · WA
Also operates from 310 Geographe Bay Rd, Quindalup (Dunsborough).
swandive.com.au · 0439 108 760
Dive Busselton Jetty
Named by sitesBusselton · Geographe Bay & Busselton · WA
Not operating dives or undersea walks for the 2025-26 season due to jetty redevelopment; hopes to resume Dec 2026.
divebusseltonjetty.com.au
Other dive centres in Geographe Bay & Busselton
Octopus Garden Dive Charters
Named by sitesBunbury · Geographe Bay & Busselton · WA
Operates from Bunbury (not Busselton); dive charters and dolphin cruises.
octopusgardendivecharters.com.au · 0417 794 008
Coastal Water Dive
Named by sitesEast Bunbury · Geographe Bay & Busselton · WA
Shop is in Bunbury, not Busselton.
coastalwaterdive.com.au · (08) 9721 7786
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views
Gannet Rock: frequently asked questions
How deep is Gannet Rock?
Gannet Rock reaches a maximum depth of 4 m, with the shallowest part at about 1 m; most of the dive is spent around 3 m.
What certification do I need to dive Gannet Rock?
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 boat traffic overhead.
Can I shore dive Gannet Rock?
Yes. Gannet Rock is a shore dive that can be done independently: walk-in from the beach.
When is the best time to dive Gannet Rock?
Summer and autumn (December-May) with morning easterly winds.
What marine life will I see at Gannet Rock?
Regularly recorded: Western king wrasse, blennies, juvenile fish, octopus, crabs, sea urchins, seagrass fauna.
What wetsuit do I need at Gannet Rock?
3-5 mm wetsuit in summer; 5-7 mm in winter.
How cold is the water at Gannet Rock?
Typically 20-23 °C in summer and 16-18 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Gannet Rock?
Lost fishing line, hooks and sinkers - carry a cutting tool; anglers on the rock; boat traffic nearby. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Gannet Rock?
Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Geographe Bay & Busselton
Geographe Bay is sheltered from the Southern Ocean swell and has the 1.8 km Busselton Jetty with its underwater observatory, the HMAS Swan wreck off Dunsborough, the Four Mile Reef sponge gardens and easy beach dives at Meelup and Castle Rock. It is the South-West's most reliable diving.
Getting there: Two and a half hours south of Perth. Busselton Jetty is a walk-in dive (or a jetty-train ride); charters from Dunsborough run the Swan.
All Geographe Bay & Busselton dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Nearby dive sites
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