Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Ramsbotham Rocks
Wilsons Promontory, Victoria · near Tidal River
| Depth | 20–30 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride or back roll from an anchored or live boat; descend the anchor/shot line |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 10-25 m |
| Water | summer 17-20 °C, winter 11-14 °C |
| Suit | 7mm semi-dry with hood and gloves, or drysuit; drysuit preferred May-Nov |
| Best season | Late summer to autumn (Feb–May) for settled weather and 20 m+ visibility; occasional calm winter days |
| Bottom time | 30 min |
| Position | -39.07132, 146.22543 (GPS) |
| Permit | Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park – no take of any marine life, no anchoring on sensitive habitat where avoidable; Kanowna Island seal colony vessel exclusion zones apply |
| Nearest chamber | The Alfred (Melbourne) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Ramsbotham Rocks
Also known as Great Glennie north-east tip
Caves and swim-throughs among giant granite boulders at 20–30 m on the sheltered north-east corner of Great Glennie; the Glennie Group's south-easterly-wind dive.
Near Tidal River · Wilsons Promontory, Victoria
- Depth
- 20–30 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~25 min
- Water
- 17-20 °C
- Visibility
- 10-25 m
Ramsbotham Rocks20–30 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, December.
Late summer to autumn (Feb–May) for settled weather and 20 m+ visibility; occasional calm winter days
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 20–30 m
- Typical depth
- 25 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 5 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~25 min
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 10-25 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 17-20 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 11-14 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 30 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
7mm semi-dry with hood and gloves, or drysuit; drysuit preferred May-Nov
Location
Glennie Group · Wilsons Promontory – Bass Strait
-39.07132, 146.22543
Published GPS position.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: scubadoctor.com.auMarine park & permits
Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park – no take of any marine life, no anchoring on sensitive habitat where avoidable; Kanowna Island seal colony vessel exclusion zones apply
Nearest recompression chamber
The Alfred (Melbourne)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Ramsbotham Rocks →
A day-by-day plan for Wilsons Promontory 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
Ramsbotham Rocks is a wall boat dive in Wilsons Promontory, VIC, 20–30 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, moderate current, about 25 minutes by boat.
Rated advanced because of depth beyond 18 m, cold water.
Why dive here
- Caves and swim-throughs among giant granite boulders at 20–30 m on the sheltered north-east corner of Great Glennie; the Glennie Group's south-easterly-wind dive.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 10-25 m.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
About Ramsbotham Rocks
Ramsbotham Rocks lie off the north-east tip of Great Glennie Island, the closest corner of the Glennie Group to Tidal River, and Scuba Doctor lists them as a 20–30 m wall dive with interesting rock formations and large boulders with caves and swim-throughs, descending to a sandy bottom around 30 m. The site's practical importance is stated in the listing: it is a sheltered spot to dive, especially if there is a south-easterly wind blowing, and since the Prom's diveable days are so often south-easterly-wind days after a change, Ramsbotham Rocks is where a Tidal River-based boat frequently ends up. The dive is entirely in the 20–30 m band, which makes it an Advanced dive despite the shelter: the rocks are giant granite blocks fallen from the island and piled on the sand, leaving caves, tunnels and overhangs between them that a diver can move through, with the boulder tops at about 20 m.
At that depth the kelp is gone and the granite is covered in the Glennie Group's sponge, zoanthid and gorgonian growth, with bryozoans and jewel anemones in the caves, crayfish in the recesses, and the perch, sweep and bullseye schools that gather around isolated structure. Seals from the Glennie haul-outs and the occasional visiting kingfish add movement, and draughtboard sharks and blue devils use the caves. The depth limits bottom time and the site is best on nitrox.
It combines naturally with a shallower second dive on Great Glennie's eastern slopes or a seal snorkel, and it is the Glennie Group's bad-weather option – dived more often than the group's exposed western walls precisely because it is available when they are not.
Getting there & entry
Rocks off the north-east tip of Great Glennie Island in the Glennie Group, about 5 km west of Tidal River.
Boat only. The nearest launch is the Tidal River beach ramp at the western end of Norman Bay (4WD beach launch, key and deposit from the Parks Victoria office; needs several people and calm surf), from which the western islands are 5–12 km. Larger trailer boats launch at Port Welshpool (sealed ramp, Corner Inlet) and run about 50–60 km around South East Point – 1.5–2 hours – or at Sandy Point (Waratah Bay, beach ramp) and run 35–45 km south-east.
Sites are exposed to Bass Strait and require settled weather, a seaworthy boat, radio, and self-sufficiency: there is no rescue or refuelling closer than Port Welshpool. Ramsbotham Rocks are on the near, north-eastern corner of Great Glennie, about 5.5 km and 15–25 minutes from the Tidal River beach launch; anchor in sand off the rocks at 20–25 m. The spot is sheltered in south-easterly winds.
Entry: Giant stride or back roll from an anchored or live boat; descend the anchor/shot line
Facilities: Departure from Tidal River beach ramp, Port Welshpool or Sandy Point; No air fills at Tidal River or Port Welshpool; the nearest compressor is roughly 100 km away (Melbourne's south-east or Inverloch/Leongatha area by arrangement) – bring all cylinders or a portable compressor
Weather, swell & tides
Described by Scuba Doctor as a sheltered spot to dive, especially if there is a south-easterly wind blowing – the north-east tip of the island is in the lee of the whole Glennie Group from the south and east. Exposed to north-westerly through south-westerly winds and to the prevailing swell wrapping round the island. Depth 20–30 m means a clean profile is needed.
Late summer and autumn.
Best season: Late summer to autumn (Feb–May) for settled weather and 20 m+ visibility; occasional calm winter days
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Ramsbotham Rocks doesn't.
- Pillar Point Bommie · 8 km · Max 25 m
- Pillar Point, South · 8 km · Max 10 m
- Picnic Bay, South · 8 km · Max 6 m
- Whisky Bay · 9 km · Max 12 m
How the dive is usually run
Descend the anchor to the sand at 28–30 m at the base of the rocks, work through the caves and swim-throughs among the large boulders with the island on one shoulder, and ascend gradually along the formation to 20 m as gas is used. Return to the anchor line for the ascent and complete a full safety stop; EAN32 extends the dive usefully.
Marine life
- Sponges
- zoanthids
- gorgonians
- bryozoans
- jewel anemones
- southern rock lobster
- butterfly perch
- sweep
- bullseyes
- draughtboard sharks
- blue devils →
- Australian fur seals →
- kingfish
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.
- Cavern Diver – An overhead environment.
- 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
Whole dive at 20–30 m – NDL and gas planning; exposed to westerly quarter; current between islands; remote beach launch; SMB advisable.
Technical notes
EAN32 recommended for the 20–30 m profile.
Dive centres that go here
No dive charter operates at Wilsons Promontory. Sites are dived from club and private trailer boats – Dive La Trobe, VSAG, Melbourne University Underwater Club and Dive Victoria Group run occasional camping-and-diving trips – launching at Tidal River (beach launch, permit/key from Parks Victoria), Port Welshpool or Sandy Point. Wilsons Promontory Cruises (Port Welshpool) runs sightseeing cruises to Skull Rock and the islands but no diving.
Operators recorded for Ramsbotham Rocks
Scubabo Dive Victoria (Dive Victoria Group)
Named by sitesQueenscliff · Port Phillip Heads · VIC
Rebranded as Scubabo Dive Victoria, Queenscliff; dive.scubabo.com is live for 2026 with active charter bookings.
dive.scubabo.com · (03) 5258 1188
VSAG
Named by sitesWilsons Promontory · VIC
Victorian Sub-Aqua Group, a non-commercial dive club (est. 1954), not a shop or charter.
vsag.org.au
Dive La Trobe
Named by sitesBundoora · Wilsons Promontory · VIC
University dive club (est. 1968), not a shop; runs SDI courses.
divelatrobe.org.au
Wildlife Coast Cruises
Named by sitesCowes · Phillip Island & Western Port · VIC
Cruise/boat tour operator (seals, whales, Wilsons Prom), not a dive shop.
wildlifecoastcruises.com.au · (03) 5952 9500
Other dive centres in Wilsons Promontory
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Ramsbotham Rocks: frequently asked questions
How deep is Ramsbotham Rocks?
Ramsbotham Rocks reaches a maximum depth of 30 m, with the shallowest part at about 20 m; most of the dive is spent around 25 m.
What certification do I need to dive Ramsbotham Rocks?
Advanced Open Water 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, cold water.
Can I shore dive Ramsbotham Rocks?
No, it is reached by boat (about 25 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Ramsbotham Rocks?
Late summer to autumn (Feb–May) for settled weather and 20 m+ visibility; occasional calm winter days.
What marine life will I see at Ramsbotham Rocks?
Regularly recorded: Sponges, zoanthids, gorgonians, bryozoans, jewel anemones, southern rock lobster, butterfly perch, sweep, bullseyes, draughtboard sharks, blue devils, Australian fur seals and more.
What wetsuit do I need at Ramsbotham Rocks?
7mm semi-dry with hood and gloves, or drysuit; drysuit preferred May-Nov.
How cold is the water at Ramsbotham Rocks?
Typically 17-20 °C in summer and 11-14 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Ramsbotham Rocks?
Whole dive at 20–30 m – NDL and gas planning; exposed to westerly quarter; current between islands; remote beach launch; SMB advisable. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Ramsbotham Rocks?
The Alfred (Melbourne). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Wilsons Promontory
The Prom is Victoria's wildest and clearest diving: granite pinnacles, walls and boulder fields around the Glennie and Anser groups and Skull Rock, deep wrecks like the SS Kanowna (115 m) and the Cape Liptrap sites, and water that can hit 30 m visibility. Fur seals at Kanowna Island and Norman Island add company.
Getting there: Charters from Port Welshpool or Tidal River, three hours from Melbourne; conditions cancel more trips than they permit.
All Wilsons Promontory dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
- scubadoctor.com.au/divesite.htm?site=Ramsbotham-Rocks
- scubadoctor.com.au/wilsons-prom-dives.htm
- scubadoctor.com.au/downloads/park-note-wilsons-promontory-marine-national-park.pdf
Data confidence: Medium · Being verified: Marine life inferred from neighbouring sites; boat time estimated. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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