Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
Lion Island
Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia · near Esperance
| Depth | 3–15 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Boat (day trip) |
| Entry | Giant stride or back roll from charter/private boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 10-20 m |
| Water | summer 19-21 °C, winter 15-16 °C |
| Suit | 7 mm wetsuit with hood, or drysuit in winter |
| Best season | Late summer to autumn (February-May) for the calmest seas and clearest water |
| Bottom time | 50 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Recherche Archipelago Nature Reserve (no landing without authorisation). |
| 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 |
Lion Island
Also known as Lion Island Recherche
Sheltered, shallow granite-boulder dive with sponges, corals and fans – a good weather fallback.
Near Esperance · Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia
- Depth
- 3–15 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Boat ride
- ~30 min
- Water
- 19-21 °C
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
Lion Island3–15 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, December.
Late summer to autumn (February-May) for the calmest seas and clearest water
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 3–15 m
- Typical depth
- 8 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Open Water (10–18 m)
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~30 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 19-21 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 15-16 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 50 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit with hood, or drysuit in winter
Location
Recherche Archipelago – inner · Esperance – Recherche Archipelago
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Esperance.
Primary source: marinelife.org.auMarine park & permits
Recherche Archipelago Nature Reserve (no landing without authorisation).
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 Lion Island →
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
Lion Island is a island boat dive in Esperance & Recherche Archipelago, WA, 3–15 m, suited to Open Water divers, about 30 minutes by boat.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Why dive here
- Sheltered, shallow granite-boulder dive with sponges, corals and fans – a good weather fallback.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 10-20 m.
About Lion Island
Lion Island is a shallow, sheltered site in the Recherche Archipelago. Marine Life Network describes a rocky, weed-covered bottom with numerous granite boulders supporting fish, sponges, soft corals, ascidians, hard corals and gorgonian sea fans.
Its value lies in its protection: on days when the swell rules out the outer islands and the Sanko Harvest, Lion Island offers a relaxed, colourful dive suitable for Open Water divers and for second dives. The boulders are covered in invertebrate growth, and the weed hides small fish, nudibranchs and crustaceans.
Little else has been published about the site. Like all Recherche islands it is a nature reserve, and landing requires authorisation.
Getting there & entry
Shallow, sheltered island dive in the Recherche Archipelago with a rocky, weed-covered bottom and granite boulders carrying sponges, soft and hard corals and gorgonians.
Esperance is about 720 km (8 hours) south-east of Perth via the Albany or Great Eastern and Coolgardie-Esperance Highways, with daily flights from Perth. Dive boats and private boats launch from the Bandy Creek Boat Harbour (5 km east of town, with ramps, parking and toilets) or operate from the town waterfront on The Esplanade. Air, nitrox and hire gear are available from Esperance Diving & Fishing on The Esplanade.
Lion Island is one of the inner islands visited by boat from Esperance; operators hold the mark. Anchor in sand in the lee.
Entry: Giant stride or back roll from charter/private boat
Weather, swell & tides
The Recherche Archipelago lies open to the Southern Ocean, and the islands shelter each other only partly. Boat diving needs swell under about 2 m and winds under 15-20 knots; the prevailing south-westerly swell and winter cold fronts cancel many trips from May to September. Summer brings reliable morning calms but strong easterly sea breezes most afternoons.
Lion Island is described as shallow and sheltered and is a fallback when more exposed islands are out; strong winds on the crossing remain the limiting factor.
Best season: Late summer to autumn (February-May) for the calmest seas and clearest water
How the dive is usually run
Anchor in the lee, explore the granite boulders at 5-10 m, looking under the weed for invertebrates and small fish, and return to the anchor.
Marine life
- Sponges
- soft corals
- hard corals
- ascidians
- gorgonian sea fans
- wrasse
- sweep
- old wives
- scalyfin
- nudibranchs →
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Within the 18 m limit of an entry-level certification.
Courses that help here
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
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
Boat crossing in wind; remote; cold water.
Dive centres that go here
Esperance Diving & Fishing (72 The Esplanade, Esperance; operating since 1983) – boat dives in the Recherche Archipelago on demand/weather permitting, minimum numbers apply for long trips – used as a shallow, sheltered dive.
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
General area
No position has been published for Lion Island. The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Esperance. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 51 km), from other documented sites near Esperance. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Lion Island: frequently asked questions
How deep is Lion Island?
Lion Island reaches a maximum depth of 15 m, with the shallowest part at about 3 m; most of the dive is spent around 8 m.
What certification do I need to dive Lion Island?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Can I shore dive Lion Island?
No, it is reached by boat (about 30 minutes).
When is the best time to dive Lion Island?
Late summer to autumn (February-May) for the calmest seas and clearest water.
What marine life will I see at Lion Island?
Regularly recorded: Sponges, soft corals, hard corals, ascidians, gorgonian sea fans, wrasse, sweep, old wives, scalyfin, nudibranchs.
What wetsuit do I need at Lion Island?
7 mm wetsuit with hood, or drysuit in winter.
How cold is the water at Lion Island?
Typically 19-21 °C in summer and 15-16 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Lion Island?
Boat crossing in wind; remote; cold water. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Lion Island?
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: Location unknown; description under 250 words – limited documentation.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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