Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef
Broome & Kimberley, Western Australia · near Broome
| Depth | 2–10 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Shore or Boat |
| Entry | Boat from Entrance Point, or shore entry near the point on a calm neap high tide |
| Current | Variable/Tidal |
| Visibility | 2-10 m |
| Water | summer 29-31 °C, winter 23-25 °C |
| Suit | 3 mm full suit (stinger protection in summer) |
| Best season | May–September on neap tides |
| Bottom time | 40 min |
| Position | -17.97500, 122.17800 (approximate) |
| Permit | Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park and Eighty Mile Beach area – check zoning; no dive permit required |
| Nearest chamber | Fiona Stanley Hospital (Perth) via RFDS from Broome; Royal Darwin Hospital is the alternative for the far north Kimberley |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef
Also known as Gantheaume Point, Riddell Point, Cable Beach reef
Broome's most accessible reef, beneath the red cliffs of Gantheaume Point.
Near Broome · Broome & Kimberley, Western Australia
- Depth
- 2–10 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Shore or Boat
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Water
- 29-31 °C
- Visibility
- 2-10 m
Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef2–10 m · Open Water · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: May, June, July, August, September.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 2–10 m
- Typical depth
- 6 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore or Boat
- Offshore
- 3 km
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- Possible (experienced only)
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Current
- Variable/Tidal
- Visibility
- 2-10 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 29-31 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 23-25 °C
- Water
- Tropical
- Bottom time
- 40 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- Partial
Exposure suit
3 mm full suit (stinger protection in summer)
Location
Broome
-17.97500, 122.17800
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: marinelife.org.auMarine park & permits
Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park and Eighty Mile Beach area – check zoning; no dive permit required
Nearest recompression chamber
Fiona Stanley Hospital (Perth) via RFDS from Broome; Royal Darwin Hospital is the alternative for the far north Kimberley
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef →
A day-by-day plan for Broome & Kimberley 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
Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef is a reef shore dive for experienced divers in Broome & Kimberley, WA, 2–10 m, suited to Open Water divers, variable/tidal current, about 20 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of tidal current that must be timed.
Why dive here
- Broome's most accessible reef, beneath the red cliffs of Gantheaume Point.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
Conditions to avoid
- Outgoing tide or run-off after rain (poor visibility)
- Spring tides (strong current)
- Any time other than slack water
- Cyclone season (roughly December–April)
- Stinger season without a full suit (November–May)
About Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef
The stretch between Gantheaume Point, with its red pindan cliffs and dinosaur footprints, and Riddell Point is described by the Marine Life Network as a popular snorkelling spot on patchy limestone reef around 10 m, with small reef fish, soft corals, sponges and anemones. Sea snakes are common.
It is the most accessible reef dive in Broome, but tides govern everything: plan for a neap high slack.
Diving around Broome: the town's waters are better known for pearling than recreational diving, and the Marine Life Network documents a handful of reef and rock sites off Gantheaume Point and Riddell Point and further offshore that local divers visit on neap tides. The limestone reefs are coated in soft corals, sponges and gorgonians rather than the hard coral of Ningaloo, and fish life is often dense because the sites are rarely dived. The ruling factors are tide and visibility: the same site can be clear on a neap slack and unusable on a spring tide. Saltwater crocodiles, large sharks and seasonal box jellyfish mean divers should plan conservatively, carry surface support and dive with someone who knows the area.
Planning notes: Open Water certification is recommended and the site is rated intermediate. Expect to spend most of the dive around 6 m, with a maximum of about 10 m. It can be reached from shore or by boat depending on conditions. Currents are significant, so timing around the tide is part of the plan. Best season: May–September on neap tides. Traffic: rarely dived (private boat/club only).
Getting there & entry
Patchy limestone reef between Gantheaume Point and Riddell Point at the southern end of Cable Beach, Broome, about 10 m deep.
Broome is 2,200 km north of Perth with daily flights. Boats launch at the Town Beach ramp on Roebuck Bay (usable only on the higher part of the tide) or the Entrance Point ramp near Gantheaume Point on the ocean side, which is usable at most tides. There is no scheduled day-dive operator in Broome at the time of writing; diving is by private boat, with local knowledge, or through charter vessels.
Offshore rocks and reefs off Gantheaume and Riddell Points are 10–40 minutes from Entrance Point.
Entry: Boat from Entrance Point, or shore entry near the point on a calm neap high tide
Facilities: Entrance Point and Town Beach boat ramps; Broome town services.
Weather, swell & tides
Broome has one of the largest tidal ranges in Australia — spring tides approach 10 m in Roebuck Bay — so currents are powerful and visibility depends on the tide. Dive only on neap tides and at slack water; spring tides produce strong currents and turbid water. The dry season (May–October) brings settled weather but strong easterly winds some days; the wet season (November–April) brings cyclones, storms and river run-off.
Box jellyfish and Irukandji occur mainly October–May. Saltwater crocodiles and large sharks inhabit Roebuck Bay and Kimberley waters. Water 23–24 °C in winter to 30 °C+ in summer.
Best season: May–September on neap tides
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef doesn't.
- Town Beach Flying Boat Wrecks (low-tide walk) · 6 km · Max 1 m
How the dive is usually run
On a neap slack, dive or snorkel the patchy limestone reef at 5–10 m, looking under ledges for small reef fish and invertebrates; watch for sea snakes.
Marine life
- Small reef fish
- soft corals
- sponges
- anemones
- sea snakes
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
Big tides and currents; sea snakes; crocodiles possible; box jellyfish October–May; rocks.
Dive centres that go here
No regular dive operator – private boats with local knowledge only.
Other dive centres in Broome & Kimberley
The Great Escape Charter Company
Named by sitesBroome · Rowley Shoals · WA
Website live for 2026 advertising 5- and 7-night Rowley Shoals dive and snorkel cruises for the 2026 and 2027 seasons (March–November).
greatescapecruises.com.au · (08) 9193 5983
Broome Historical Walking Tours
Named by sitesBroome · Broome & Kimberley · WA
Walking tour operator, not a dive business; departs Town Beach, Broome.
broomehistoricalwalkingtours.com
All dive centres in Western Australia →
Operators mentioned: None regular (air fills limited – check locally)
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef: frequently asked questions
How deep is Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef reaches a maximum depth of 10 m, with the shallowest part at about 2 m; most of the dive is spent around 6 m.
What certification do I need to dive Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of tidal current that must be timed.
Can I shore dive Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
Experienced divers do dive Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef from the shore, but the entry or conditions make it unsuitable for newer divers without local guidance. Entry: Boat from Entrance Point, or shore entry near the point on a calm neap high tide.
When is the best time to dive Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
May–September on neap tides.
What marine life will I see at Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
Regularly recorded: Small reef fish, soft corals, sponges, anemones, sea snakes.
What wetsuit do I need at Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
3 mm full suit (stinger protection in summer).
How cold is the water at Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
Typically 29-31 °C in summer and 23-25 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
Big tides and currents; sea snakes; crocodiles possible; box jellyfish October–May; rocks. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Gantheaume Point to Riddell Point Reef?
Fiona Stanley Hospital (Perth) via RFDS from Broome; Royal Darwin Hospital is the alternative for the far north Kimberley. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Broome & Kimberley
Broome's diving is tidal and turbid but full of history: the pearling-lugger wrecks, WWII flying boats sunk in Roebuck Bay in 1942 and reachable on the lowest tides, and the reefs off Gantheaume Point. The Kimberley coast beyond is liveaboard country with huge tides, crocodiles and untouched reef.
Getting there: Fly to Broome. Local operators dive on neap tides; Kimberley coast trips are multi-day expedition charters.
All Broome & Kimberley dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Medium. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction







