The Rapid was a 366-ton, 31 m American wooden trading barque that wrecked on Ningaloo Reef in 1811 and was burnt to the waterline by her crew. It is one of the oldest wrecks on the WA coast. When found in 1978, the site held about 18,540 Spanish silver coins, most later recovered.

Today two anchors, large piles of ballast stones and sections of hull partly buried in the seafloor remain in 4–5 m. The WA Museum covered parts of the site with shade cloth and sandbags, and by 2019 a dense layer of marine growth was stabilising it. It needs swell under 1 m and about 10 m visibility.

The Point Cloates coast: the stretch of Ningaloo between Coral Bay and Yardie Creek is a notorious ship trap where the reef lies close to the shipping route and an uncharted north-west current set vessels onto the reef. The WA wreck-diving guide divingwawrecks lists nine wrecks here, from the 1811 Rapid to the 1931 Chofuku Maru. All are remote, require a private boat, calm seas and self-sufficiency, and are protected historic sites — look, photograph and leave everything in place.

Planning notes: Open Water certification is recommended and the site is rated advanced. Expect to spend most of the dive around 4.5 m, with a maximum of about 5 m. Access is by boat only, and site selection depends on wind, swell and tide on the day. Best season: April–October on glassy days. Traffic: remote/expedition only.

Point Cloates and Ningaloo Station lie on the coast between Coral Bay and Exmouth, reached by the Minilya–Exmouth Road and a long unsealed station track (4WD recommended; station permission and camping fees apply). There are no dive operators on this stretch. Boats are beach-launched at South Lefroy Bay or from Ningaloo Station with permission, or run 30+ nautical miles north from Coral Bay.

Wrecks lie on or behind the reef crest and are only reachable in very calm conditions.

These wrecks lie on the exposed reef crest or just behind the outer breakers and are only diveable in swell under about 0.5–1.0 m, light winds and 10+ m visibility. Any south-westerly swell makes them dangerous. Morning calms are best before the sea breeze.

Cyclone season November–April. Visibility is typically 5–15 m, best on neap tides after several calm days. Tides are moderate (about 2 m) on this coast, but water draining off the reef flats creates currents near passages.

The area is extremely remote, with no mobile coverage in most places, so carry an EPIRB and let the station know your plans.

Locate the two anchors and ballast mounds, and swim slowly over the site without touching the protective covering or marine growth.

No regular operator – private boats only (beach launch at South Lefroy Bay or Ningaloo Station with permission, or from Coral Bay).