Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)
Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia · near Esperance
| Depth | 1–8 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Snorkel/Any |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Beach entry |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 10-20 m |
| Water | summer 19-21 °C, winter 15-16 °C |
| Suit | 5-7 mm wetsuit |
| Best season | Summer and autumn on calm mornings |
| Bottom time | 45 min |
| Position | -33.98500, 122.16000 (approximate) |
| Permit | Cape Le Grand National Park – park entry fee. |
| Nearest chamber | Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth) – about 720 km; aeromedical evacuation (RFDS) from Esperance Hospital |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)
Also known as Hellfire Bay, Cape Le Grand
A granite-framed bay of startling clarity with picnic facilities – easy family snorkelling.
Near Esperance · Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia
- Depth
- 1–8 m
- Minimum level
- Snorkel/Any
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- Shore entry
- Water
- 19-21 °C
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)1–8 m · Snorkel/Any · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, December.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 1–8 m
- Typical depth
- 4 m
- Certification
- Snorkel/Any
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Yes
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 19-21 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 15-16 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 45 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- Yes
Exposure suit
5-7 mm wetsuit
Location
Cape Le Grand National Park · Esperance – Cape Le Grand & East
-33.98500, 122.16000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: aidenandmaddy.comMarine park & permits
Cape Le Grand National Park – park entry fee.
Nearest recompression chamber
Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth) – about 720 km; aeromedical evacuation (RFDS) from Esperance Hospital
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand) →
A day-by-day plan for Esperance & Recherche Archipelago 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
Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand) is a shore / rock platform shore dive you can do independently in Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, WA, 1–8 m, suitable for snorkellers and first-time divers.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day.
Why dive here
- A granite-framed bay of startling clarity with picnic facilities – easy family snorkelling.
- Snorkel-friendly, so non-diving companions can join at the surface.
- Visibility often reaches 10-20 m.
About Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)
Hellfire Bay is one of the most scenic bays in Cape Le Grand National Park: a short beach of white sand between massive granite domes, with water of extraordinary clarity. Travel guides describe easy car-park access, toilets, barbecues and picnic benches, and a small freshwater creek at the end of the beach. It is also the start or end point of the coastal walk trail to Le Grand Beach and Thistle Cove.
The snorkelling is along the granite at the ends of the bay, where boulders drop onto sand and carry kelp, sargassum, coralline algae and small sponges. Expect herring, sweep, old wives, wrasse, scalyfin and leatherjackets, and rays over the sand. The bay is shallow and there is no documented scuba site, but it is an easy snorkel for families visiting the park.
Divers camping at Lucky Bay or Le Grand Beach often visit Hellfire Bay for a picnic and a swim. Carry water and shade, and remember that park beaches are unpatrolled.
Getting there & entry
Granite-framed white-sand bay in Cape Le Grand National Park about 60 km east of Esperance, with picnic facilities and snorkelling along the rocks.
From Esperance drive east on Fisheries Road and Merivale Road, then turn onto Cape Le Grand Road into Cape Le Grand National Park (about 55-65 km, 50-60 minutes, all sealed). Park entry fees apply (DBCA pass or day fee at the entry station). Hellfire Bay is signposted off the main park road, about 60 km from Esperance.
The car park sits close to the beach; arrive before about 11 am in summer to find a space. A short walk leads to the sand. Enter from the beach and snorkel along the granite at either end.
Entry: Beach entry
Facilities: Car park, toilets, gas barbecues, picnic benches; no camping. Park fees apply.
Weather, swell & tides
Cape Le Grand's bays face south and east toward the Recherche islands, which break some of the Southern Ocean swell. Westerly and north-westerly winds are offshore and calm the bays; strong south-easterly sea breezes (most summer afternoons) and the 'Esperance Doctor' easterlies make them choppy and cloudy. Winter south-westerly swells produce surf in the more exposed bays.
Hellfire Bay is enclosed by granite and is calm in westerly weather; in larger south-westerly swell, waves break on the beach. South-easterly afternoon sea breezes create chop.
Best season: Summer and autumn on calm mornings
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand) doesn't.
- Thistle Cove (Cape Le Grand) · 5 km · Max 8 m
- Lucky Bay (Cape Le Grand) · 7 km · Max 10 m
- Woody Island (Recherche Archipelago) · 14 km · Max 10 m
How the dive is usually run
Snorkel from the beach along the granite at the eastern or western end, staying close to the rocks in calm water.
Marine life
- Herring
- sweep
- old wives
- wrasse
- scalyfin
- leatherjackets
- rays
- kelp
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
Surf in larger swell; unpatrolled; parking fills early; remote.
Dive centres that go here
No operator – independent snorkelling.
Operators recorded for Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)
Other dive centres in Esperance & Recherche Archipelago
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
Woody Island Eco Tours
Named by sitesEsperance · Esperance & Recherche Archipelago · WA
Island eco tours/ferry and camping; not a dive shop.
woodyisland.com.au · 0484 327 580
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views
Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand): frequently asked questions
How deep is Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand) reaches a maximum depth of 8 m, with the shallowest part at about 1 m; most of the dive is spent around 4 m.
What certification do I need to dive Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
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.
Can I shore dive Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
Yes. Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand) is a shore dive that can be done independently: beach entry.
When is the best time to dive Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
Summer and autumn on calm mornings.
What marine life will I see at Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
Regularly recorded: Herring, sweep, old wives, wrasse, scalyfin, leatherjackets, rays, kelp.
What wetsuit do I need at Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
5-7 mm wetsuit.
How cold is the water at Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
Typically 19-21 °C in summer and 15-16 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
Surf in larger swell; unpatrolled; parking fills early; remote. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Hellfire Bay (Cape Le Grand)?
Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth) – about 720 km; aeromedical evacuation (RFDS) from Esperance Hospital. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Esperance & Recherche Archipelago
Esperance's Recherche Archipelago has more than 100 granite islands in clear Southern Ocean water: sea lions, fur seals, leafy seadragons, kelp and the Sanko Harvest wreck, the largest diveable wreck in Australia, in 12–40 m. It is spectacular and dived by very few.
Getting there: Eight hours from Perth or a flight to Esperance. Local charters when demand allows; the town beaches and Woody Island have shore diving.
All Esperance & Recherche Archipelago dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Description under 250 words – snorkel-only site; represents v1 'Cape Le Grand' reference.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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