Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Gemini Wreck
Perth, Western Australia · near Mindarie
| Depth | 26–30 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Deep/Advanced + experience |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Boat; shot line or mooring, no anchoring into the wreck |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 10–30 (5–30) m |
| Water | summer 21–23 °C, winter 17–19 °C |
| Suit | 5–7 mm wetsuit with hood; 7 mm or semi-dry in winter |
| Best season | Summer and autumn in light winds |
| Bottom time | 20 min |
| Position | -31.61903, 115.56043 (GPS) |
| Permit | None. |
| Nearest chamber | Fiona Stanley Hospital hyperbaric medicine unit (Murdoch, Perth) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Gemini Wreck
Also known as Gemini, WH-301 hopper barge
An upturned 36 m hopper barge in 30 m of often clear blue water, surrounded by schools of samson fish and kingfish.
Near Mindarie · Perth, Western Australia
- Depth
- 26–30 m
- Minimum level
- Deep/Advanced + experience
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~30 min
- Water
- 21–23 °C
- Visibility
- 10–30 (5–30) m
Gemini Wreck26–30 m · Deep/Advanced + experience
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, December.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 26–30 m
- Typical depth
- 28 m
- Certification
- Deep/Advanced + experience
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 11 km
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~30 min
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 10–30 (5–30) m
- Water temp (summer)
- 21–23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 17–19 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 20 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood; 7 mm or semi-dry in winter
Location
Offshore Mindarie · Perth Metro – North (Mindarie, Quinns & Alkimos)
-31.61903, 115.56043
Published GPS position.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: divingwawrecks.comMarine park & permits
None.
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 Gemini Wreck →
A day-by-day plan for Perth 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
Gemini Wreck is a wreck boat dive in Perth, WA, 26–30 m, suited to Deep/Advanced + experience divers, moderate current, about 30 minutes by boat.
Rated advanced because of depth beyond 18 m, wreck penetration options that need training.
Why dive here
- An upturned 36 m hopper barge in 30 m of often clear blue water, surrounded by schools of samson fish and kingfish.
- Sunk in 1993 (Steel hopper barge (WH-301), built 1962, 36.5 m, 860 tons).
- Visibility often reaches 10–30 (5–30) m.
About Gemini Wreck
The Gemini is the north-metro coast's main purpose-sunk wreck and, according to divingwawrecks, arguably the most exciting dive off the northern suburbs. She was the hopper barge WH-301, built in 1962 and paired with her sister WH-302 in New South Wales. She later came to Western Australia and was bought by charter operator John Clark, and on 9 September 1993, with help from the Royal Australian Navy and local businesses, she was scuttled as a dive and training site for Advanced divers.
The 36.5 m, 860-ton steel barge capsized as she sank and lies upside down on sand in 30 m, on an east–west axis with the bow facing seaward. The top of the upturned hull is at about 26 m. Commercial divers later removed sections of the hull to allow penetration into the silt-filled internal spaces.
The wreck is a magnet for fish. Samson fish school around it, which also attracts anglers, and kingfish, old wives and truncate coralfish are common. Crayfish hide under the gunwales, and soft corals and sponges cover the steel.
It is a deep, exposed dive that suits Advanced divers with deep experience. Currents can be strong, it is not always easy to locate, and no-decompression times are short. On a calm day with clear blue water it is one of the best wreck dives in the Perth area. Spearfishing is not permitted on the wreck, according to the Marine Life Network.
Water temperatures on this coast range from about 17–18 °C in late winter to 22–23 °C in late summer; a 7 mm wetsuit with a hood suits most of the year.
Wreck details
Steel hopper barge (WH-301), built 1962, 36.5 m, 860 tons · Sunk 1993
Era: modern, mostly scuttled as artificial reefs. Oldest wrecks · Wartime wrecks · Scuttled warships
Other wrecks of the same era
- Sanko Harvest Wreck · Max 44 m · Esperance & Recherche Archipelago
- HMAS Swan Wreck · Max 31 m · Geographe Bay & Busselton
- No. 20 McDermott Barge · Max 5 m · Pilbara & Dampier
- Two Fold Bay Wreck · Max 12 m · Perth
- North Mole & North Mole Barge · Max 8.5 m · Perth
- Rockingham Wreck Trail · Max 18 m · Perth
Getting there & entry
An 860-ton steel hopper barge scuttled upside down in 1993 as a dive site in 30 m, 6 nautical miles offshore and 8.4 nautical miles north-west of Mindarie Marina.
Launch at the Mindarie Marina public ramp (Mindarie Keys, off Marmion Avenue, about 40 minutes from the Perth CBD). Run 8.4 nautical miles north-west to S 31°37.142' E 115°33.626', about 25–30 minutes in a trailer boat. The Marine Life Network notes that it can be hard to find by GPS, so use a sounder.
Drop a shot beside the hull rather than anchoring into it. Divingwawrecks lists Western Blue Dive Charters as having run the only local charter from Mindarie; check which operators currently visit.
Entry: Boat; shot line or mooring, no anchoring into the wreck
Facilities: Mindarie Marina: public ramp, parking, toilets, fuel, cafes.
Weather, swell & tides
The north-metro offshore sites face the open Indian Ocean with no island shelter. Swell comes mainly from the south-west and west, and the summer south-westerly sea breeze usually arrives late morning to early afternoon, making the run home rough. The Gemini is divable in light winds and swell under about 1.5 m.
It is subject to strong current at times, so check on arrival and dive at slack periods if possible. Visibility is often excellent, 10–30 m. Winter fronts bring north-westerly gales and big swell.
Best season: Summer and autumn in light winds
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Gemini Wreck doesn't.
- Little Island (Marmion) · 25 km · Max 10 m
- Alkimos Wreck · 9 km · Max 7 m
- Two Fold Bay Wreck · 9 km · Max 12 m
- Eglinton Wreck · 10 km · Max 8 m
How the dive is usually run
Descend the shot to the upturned hull at about 26 m, circle it on the sand at 30 m and look into the openings cut in the upper (now lower) side. Keep bottom time within no-decompression limits on nitrox, then ascend the shot with a safety stop.
Marine life
- Samson fish schools
- yellowtail kingfish
- old wives
- truncate coralfish
- western rock lobster
- soft corals
- sponges
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
At more than 25 m this counts as a deep dive: watch no-decompression limits and gas.
Courses that help here
- Enriched Air Nitrox – Longer no-decompression time at 25 m and deeper.
- Wreck Diver – The wreck has penetration options.
- Peak Performance Buoyancy – Silt and low visibility punish poor trim.
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
Depth of 30 m with short no-decompression limits; strong currents at times; silt-filled interior (penetration only with wreck training); exposed offshore location; anglers fishing the wreck and lost line.
Technical notes
Nitrox 28–32% recommended to extend bottom time; interior penetration requires wreck training, lines and silt-management skills.
Dive centres that go here
Occasional charters by Perth operators and clubs for Advanced and deep training; divingwawrecks names Western Blue Dive Charters (Mindarie) as the historic local operator – currency unconfirmed. Also private boats.
Operators recorded for Gemini Wreck
Perth Scuba
ProfiledCanning Vale · Perth · WA
One of the most fully documented operations in Western Australia, covering recreational, professional, technical and freediving training alongside substantial equipment facilities.
perthscuba.com · (08) 9455 4448
Bucket List Diver
Named by sitesFremantle · Perth · WA
bucketlistdiver.com · (08) 9200 4447
UWA Underwater Club
Named by sitesCrawley · Rottnest Island · WA
University of Western Australia dive club (operating since 1968); club, not a shop.
uwauc.org.au
Image Dive & Charters
Named by sitesHillarys · Perth · WA
Image Dive Pty Ltd trading as Image Dive and Charters; boat dive charters from Hillarys.
imagedive.com.au · 0417 957 870
Other dive centres in Perth
Dolphin Scuba Diving
ProfiledWelshpool · Perth · WA
A Perth business providing training, equipment and service support.
dolphinscuba.com.au · (08) 9353 2488
ADRENO Perth
ListedO'Connor · Perth · WA
An equipment retailer with a spearfishing and freediving emphasis. Primarily retail rather than a training centre.
adreno.com.au/pages/contact-us-perth · (08) 6424 8480
Dive Imports
ListedMt Hawthorn · Perth · WA
A Perth equipment business. Retail range, servicing and training availability require verification.
diveimports.com · (08) 9443 1657
Dolphin Dive Fremantle
ListedSouth Fremantle · Perth · WA
A Fremantle operation serving local divers, with proximity to Rottnest Island departures.
dolphindive.com.au
Perth Diving Academy
ListedHillarys · Perth · WA
A Perth training business serving the metropolitan recreational market.
perthdiving.com.au · (08) 9448 6343
Spear West
ListedPerth · WA
A Perth spearfishing and freediving business. This serves a different customer from a conventional scuba centre.
spearwest.com.au · 0411 063 351
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views



Gemini Wreck: frequently asked questions
How deep is Gemini Wreck?
Gemini Wreck reaches a maximum depth of 30 m, with the shallowest part at about 26 m; most of the dive is spent around 28 m.
What certification do I need to dive Gemini Wreck?
Deep/Advanced + experience is the recommended minimum. At more than 25 m this counts as a deep dive: watch no-decompression limits and gas. Rated advanced because of depth beyond 18 m, wreck penetration options that need training.
Can I shore dive Gemini Wreck?
No, it is reached by boat (about 30 minutes).
When is the best time to dive Gemini Wreck?
Summer and autumn in light winds.
What marine life will I see at Gemini Wreck?
Regularly recorded: Samson fish schools, yellowtail kingfish, old wives, truncate coralfish, western rock lobster, soft corals, sponges.
What wetsuit do I need at Gemini Wreck?
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood; 7 mm or semi-dry in winter.
How cold is the water at Gemini Wreck?
Typically 21–23 °C in summer and 17–19 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Gemini Wreck?
Depth of 30 m with short no-decompression limits; strong currents at times; silt-filled interior (penetration only with wreck training); exposed offshore location; anglers fishing the wreck and lost line. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Gemini Wreck?
Fiona Stanley Hospital hyperbaric medicine unit (Murdoch, Perth). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Perth
Perth's metropolitan coast from Rockingham to Mindarie has limestone reef ledges, caves and swim-throughs in 5–20 m, the wreck trails at Rockingham and Coogee (Omeo, the Saxon Ranger, the Kwinana Grain Jetty), the Blackwall Reach river dive, and dozens of easy shore entries. Tropical fish arrive on the Leeuwin Current each summer to join the temperate regulars.
Getting there: All within an hour of the city with beach car parks; charters from Fremantle, Hillarys and Mindarie for the offshore reefs.
Sources
Data confidence: High · Being verified: Current operators visiting the site; Marine Life Network GPS differs slightly (S 31°37.212' E 115°33.493').. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction











