Pilbara Dive and Tours runs a 'Samson Wrecks Ultimate Dive Tour' to a group of sunken trawlers and barges that have become artificial reefs, with two dives to up to 25 m for Advanced Open Water divers, a maximum of six divers and self-guided buddy dives. Cod, groupers and tawny nurse sharks are the headline species, with turtles, dolphins and rays, and humpback whales migrating past between June and October.

The individual wrecks are not named in published material, and coordinates are approximate.

About the Dampier Archipelago: the archipelago's 42 islands off Dampier and Karratha hold one of the most diverse marine environments in Western Australia, with more than 650 recorded fish species, coral reefs, sponge gardens and seagrass meadows — all set against red Pilbara rock and the world's largest concentration of Aboriginal rock art on the Burrup Peninsula (Murujuga). It is heavily fished and boated by locals but lightly dived, and visiting divers usually go with Pilbara Dive and Tours or a local club. The combination of big tides, turbid inshore water and strong currents means the outer islands generally offer the best visibility and coral, and dive timing is planned around slack water.

Planning notes: Advanced Open Water certification is recommended and the site is rated intermediate. Expect to spend most of the dive around 18 m, with a maximum of about 25 m. Access is by boat only, and site selection depends on wind, swell and tide on the day. Currents are significant, so timing around the tide is part of the plan. Best season: April–October (outside cyclone season; best visibility in cooler months). Traffic: moderate (occasional charters/club dives).

Book the Samson Wrecks tour with Pilbara Dive and Tours in Karratha (pickup available). Point Samson is about 50 km east of Karratha via the North West Coastal Highway and Point Samson Road; boats launch at Point Samson or John's Creek (Cossack/Point Samson area). Tours last about six hours with two dives and a maximum of six divers; equipment is provided, and dives are self-guided buddy dives, so divers must be comfortable navigating independently at up to 25 m.

The Dampier Archipelago is sheltered from ocean swell by its islands, but the big Pilbara tides (spring ranges approaching 5 m) drive strong currents between the islands and control visibility; dive near slack water and plan around neap tides for the clearest water. Visibility is usually under 5 m in summer and up to 10–15 m in the cooler months, better at the outer islands. Strong easterly winds in winter and afternoon sea breezes chop up the crossings.

Cyclone season runs November–April and the Pilbara coast is Australia's most cyclone-prone; charters stop during warnings. Irukandji and box jellyfish can occur in the warmer months. Water temperature ranges from about 21 °C in July–August to 30 °C in January–February.

Descend the anchor or shot line to a wreck, circuit the hull at 18–25 m looking for cod and tawny nurse sharks, and ascend the line for a safety stop.

Pilbara Dive and Tours (Karratha) – Ultimate Dive Tour and Samson Wrecks tour (six-hour, max six divers), snorkel tours and private charters; otherwise private boats from Dampier. Lethal Adventures offers island boat tours.