Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
Israelite Bay
Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia · near Esperance
| Depth | 1–10 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Beach entry |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 5-20 m |
| Water | summer 18-21 °C, winter 15-16 °C |
| Suit | 7 mm wetsuit |
| Best season | Late summer and autumn, when tracks are dry and seas calmer |
| Bottom time | 40 min |
| Position | -33.62000, 123.88000 (approximate) |
| Permit | Nuytsland Nature Reserve / Cape Arid National Park (DBCA) – check access conditions and fees. |
| Nearest chamber | Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth) – RFDS aeromedical evacuation required; extreme remoteness |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Israelite Bay
Also known as Israelite Bay Telegraph Station
A wilderness bay with historic telegraph station ruins – the edge of the Great Australian Bight.
Near Esperance · Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia
- Depth
- 1–10 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- —
- Water
- 18-21 °C
- Visibility
- 5-20 m
Israelite Bay1–10 m · Open Water · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, December.
Late summer and autumn, when tracks are dry and seas calmer
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 1–10 m
- Typical depth
- 4 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Possible (experienced only)
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 5-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 18-21 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 15-16 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 40 min
- Dive traffic
- Remote/expedition only
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- Partial
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit
Location
Nuytsland Nature Reserve / Cape Arid · Esperance – Cape Le Grand & East
-33.62000, 123.88000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: en.wikipedia.orgMarine park & permits
Nuytsland Nature Reserve / Cape Arid National Park (DBCA) – check access conditions and fees.
Nearest recompression chamber
Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth) – RFDS aeromedical evacuation required; extreme remoteness
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Israelite Bay →
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
Israelite Bay is a shore / rock platform shore dive for experienced divers in Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, WA, 1–10 m, suited to Open Water divers.
Rated advanced by the operators who dive it.
Why dive here
- A wilderness bay with historic telegraph station ruins – the edge of the Great Australian Bight.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 5-20 m.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Outgoing tide or run-off after rain (poor visibility)
About Israelite Bay
Israelite Bay is one of the most remote coastal locations in southern Western Australia – a wide bay at the western end of the Great Australian Bight, about 200 km east of Esperance by 4WD track. It is best known for the stone ruins of the Israelite Bay telegraph station, built in the 1870s on the east-west overland telegraph line linking Perth with Adelaide, and for the vast coastal wilderness of Cape Arid National Park and Nuytsland Nature Reserve around it.
No published dive-site information was found for Israelite Bay. The coast has sandy beaches, limestone and granite reef, seagrass and weed banks, and the marine life is likely to resemble the eastern Recherche and western Bight – sweep, herring, wrasse, Australian salmon, sea lions around offshore islands and rocks.
Any diving here is an expedition: no facilities, no air, no mobile coverage and a long 4WD trip from help. It suits only highly experienced, self-sufficient travellers who are prepared for emergencies, and is realistically a snorkel on calm days rather than a planned dive destination.
Getting there & entry
Very remote bay at the western end of the Great Australian Bight coast, about 200 km east of Esperance by 4WD, known for the ruins of the 1870s telegraph station; rarely if ever dived.
Israelite Bay is reached only by 4WD: from Esperance head east on Fisheries Road past Condingup, then follow the unsealed tracks through Cape Arid National Park and Nuytsland Nature Reserve (allow 4-5 hours; high-clearance 4WD, recovery gear, spare fuel and water essential; check DBCA for track closures after rain). There are no facilities, no mobile coverage and no boat ramp. Divers must be completely self-sufficient, carrying all cylinders.
Entry: Beach entry
Facilities: None. Nearest services in Esperance (about 200 km).
Weather, swell & tides
Israelite Bay is a broad, shallow bay at the western end of the Great Australian Bight, partly sheltered by Point Lorenzo, but exposed to south-westerly and southerly swell and strong winds. Weed wrack and sand can reduce visibility. Tracks may be impassable after rain.
Conditions are unpredictable and there is no rescue support nearby.
Best season: Late summer and autumn, when tracks are dry and seas calmer
How the dive is usually run
On a calm day, snorkel or shore dive along any rocky reef near the beach, staying shallow and conservative given the complete absence of support.
Marine life
- Likely: sweep
- herring
- wrasse
- Australian salmon
- seagrass fauna
- Australian sea lions (offshore) →
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
Extreme remoteness – no facilities, communications or rescue; 4WD-only access; exposed to swell; great white sharks occur along the Bight; carry satellite communications/PLB.
Dive centres that go here
No operator – remote expedition only.
Operators recorded for Israelite Bay
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
Israelite Bay: frequently asked questions
How deep is Israelite Bay?
Israelite Bay reaches a maximum depth of 10 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 Israelite Bay?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated advanced by the operators who dive it.
Can I shore dive Israelite Bay?
Experienced divers do dive Israelite Bay from the shore, but the entry or conditions make it unsuitable for newer divers without local guidance. Entry: Beach entry.
When is the best time to dive Israelite Bay?
Late summer and autumn, when tracks are dry and seas calmer.
What marine life will I see at Israelite Bay?
Regularly recorded: Likely: sweep, herring, wrasse, Australian salmon, seagrass fauna, Australian sea lions (offshore).
What wetsuit do I need at Israelite Bay?
7 mm wetsuit.
How cold is the water at Israelite Bay?
Typically 18-21 °C in summer and 15-16 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Israelite Bay?
Extreme remoteness – no facilities, communications or rescue; 4WD-only access; exposed to swell; great white sharks occur along the Bight; carry satellite communications/PLB. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Israelite Bay?
Fiona Stanley Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Murdoch, Perth) – RFDS aeromedical evacuation required; extreme remoteness. 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: No dive source found; access route, distances and telegraph history from general knowledge – verify all fields. Description under 250 words.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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