Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
The Whorehouse
Jervis Bay, New South Wales · near Huskisson
| Depth | 13–26 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Back roll from boat anchored near the largest boulder |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 15-25 m |
| Water | summer 19-23 °C, winter 15-17 °C |
| Suit | 5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October |
| Best season | Year-round in suitable swell |
| Bottom time | 35 min |
| Position | -35.08592, 150.81728 (GPS) |
| Permit | Jervis Bay Marine Park (NSW) – check the zoning map: sanctuary zones (no take of any kind) cover much of the Beecroft Peninsula coast including Drum and Drumsticks, The Docks area and Bowen Island; special grey nurse shark rules apply. No permit needed for recreational diving. Beecroft Peninsula is the Department of Defence Beecroft Weapons Range. Road access to Point Perpendicular, Honeymoon Bay, Long Beach and the peninsula's bays is only when the range is open to the public (generally Friday afternoon to Sunday and NSW school/public holidays – confirm with Range Control on 02 4448 3411 or the range Facebook page), and sea areas off the peninsula can be closed during live firing; check Notices to Mariners and range notices before a boat trip. |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
The Whorehouse
Also known as The Labyrinth, Whorehouse
A labyrinth under a giant slab on pillars, with a dozen entrances, a central column and eerie light shafts.
Near Huskisson · Jervis Bay, New South Wales
- Depth
- 13–26 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~25 min
- Water
- 19-23 °C
- Visibility
- 15-25 m
The Whorehouse13–26 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 13–26 m
- Typical depth
- 22 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 0.03 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~25 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 15-25 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 19-23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 15-17 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 35 min
- Dive traffic
- Popular (weekly charters)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October
Location
Beecroft Peninsula – outer coast · Shoalhaven – Jervis Bay
-35.08592, 150.81728
Published GPS position.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoMarine park & permits
Jervis Bay Marine Park (NSW) – check the zoning map: sanctuary zones (no take of any kind) cover much of the Beecroft Peninsula coast including Drum and Drumsticks, The Docks area and Bowen Island; special grey nurse shark rules apply. No permit needed for recreational diving. Beecroft Peninsula is the Department of Defence Beecroft Weapons Range. Road access to Point Perpendicular, Honeymoon Bay, Long Beach and the peninsula's bays is only when the range is open to the public (generally Friday afternoon to Sunday and NSW school/public holidays – confirm with Range Control on 02 4448 3411 or the range Facebook page), and sea areas off the peninsula can be closed during live firing; check Notices to Mariners and range notices before a boat trip.
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around The Whorehouse →
A day-by-day plan for Jervis Bay 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
The Whorehouse is a cave / cavern boat dive in Jervis Bay, NSW, 13–26 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, about 25 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, an overhead environment, cold water.
Why dive here
- A labyrinth under a giant slab on pillars, with a dozen entrances, a central column and eerie light shafts.
- Visibility often reaches 15-25 m.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
About The Whorehouse
The Whorehouse – more politely called The Labyrinth by most operators – is one of the most distinctive formations in Jervis Bay. An enormous flat slab of rock rests on a number of columns, creating a room beneath it with a dozen or more entrances, a huge open chamber and a central pillar. Deep 6 Diving describes the slab as suspended about 1.5 m above the sea floor, surrounded by small tunnels. The main feature lies at 20–26 m about 30 m off a point just south of The Arch, and the structure forms a U-shaped cavern that divers can enter by one opening and leave by another.
The cavern is home to sweep, striped seapike, yellowtail and many species of leatherjackets, which drift in and out of the openings, and more fish congregate around the outside of the structure. Large boulders surround the area, the highest to the north of the main feature. In shallower water near the cliff face, further swim-throughs and overhangs extend the dive.
McFadyen calls it quite an eerie dive in the right light, as shafts of sunlight penetrate the gaps between the columns. With multiple exits and a generous space inside, it is accessible to most divers, though the depth (20–26 m) makes it best suited to those with Advanced certification. Good buoyancy is needed to avoid kicking up sediment or contacting the ceiling. It is frequently combined with The Arch or the Point Perpendicular sponge gardens, which lie within a few hundred metres.
Getting there & entry
Huge flat rock resting on columns, forming a U-shaped cavern with a dozen or more entrances at 20–26 m, about 30 m off the point just south of The Arch and north of Point Perpendicular.
Charters depart Huskisson (Dive Jervis Bay; boats in Currambene Creek). Private boats launch at Huskisson, Callala Bay or Murrays Beach (Booderee), or at Currarong's ocean ramp. From Huskisson cross the bay to the entrance and turn north around Point Perpendicular onto the outside of the Beecroft Peninsula; the site lies just north of Point Perpendicular and south of The Arch (about 25 minutes from Huskisson).
Use the rock formation resembling a face on the distant cliff: run in until the face just disappears behind the closest point and anchor at 35° 05.155' S 150° 49.037' E, about 30 m off the point.
Entry: Back roll from boat anchored near the largest boulder
Facilities: Departure from Huskisson: Dive Jervis Bay shop (air, nitrox, hire), cafés, parking; Huskisson and Callala ramps.
Weather, swell & tides
The outer Beecroft Peninsula cliffs face east to south-east and take the full force of any south-easterly or easterly swell; the sites are diveable in swell under about 1.5 m and are well sheltered from south-westerly and westerly winds, which make them the go-to sites in winter. North-easterly winds (common on summer afternoons) make the run from Huskisson across the bay entrance rough and cause surge on the northern-facing cliffs. Visibility is commonly 15–25 m and can reach 30 m in winter when clear oceanic water sits against the peninsula.
Currents along the cliffs are usually mild but can run at the bay entrance on a strong tide change. Defence live-firing closures can shut the sea area – check before going.
Best season: Year-round in suitable swell
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when The Whorehouse doesn't.
- Murrays Beach · 7 km · Max 12 m
- Scottish Rocks · 9 km · Depth not published
- Hyams Beach · 11 km · Max 10 m
- Scallop Beds · 6 km · Max 12 m
How the dive is usually run
Descend towards the largest boulder (north of the main feature), find an entrance and swim through the U-shaped cavern, exiting by a different opening. Then move shallower to the cliff face for more swim-throughs and overhangs before returning to the anchor.
Marine life
- Silver sweep
- striped seapike
- yellowtail
- leatherjackets (many species)
- sponges
- wobbegongs →
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
Overhead environment – good buoyancy, torch recommended; depth 20–26 m; exposed coast; Defence firing-range sea closures.
Dive centres that go here
Dive Jervis Bay (Huskisson; boats Avalon and Genesis) runs double boat dives most days, and Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay / other Huskisson operators also visit; site chosen on the day according to swell and wind. Operators usually call it The Labyrinth.
Operators recorded for The Whorehouse
Dive Jervis Bay
ProfiledHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
A Huskisson operation with two dive boats and on-site accommodation, diving the walls, sponge gardens and seal sites of Jervis Bay Marine Park.
(02) 4441 5255
Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay
Reported closedHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
Former domain deep6divingjervisbay.com.au now serves unrelated SEO content; only stale directory listings remain.
Other dive centres in Jervis Bay
Indepth Scuba
ProfiledBelconnen · Jervis Bay · NSW
A Canberra operation that functions as both a training school and a life-support service facility, with cylinder testing and a full range of gas fills.
indepthscuba.com.au · (02) 6251 1070
Lady of the Sea Diving Academy
ProfiledTuggeranong (Canberra, ACT) · Jervis Bay · NSW
A Canberra operation with an unusually complete set of facilities for an inland centre, including an onsite pool, classroom, retail shop and dive boat.
ladyofthesea.com.au · +61 407 487 735
Crest Diving
Named by sitesJervis Bay · Jervis Bay · NSW
Escorted shore dive tours; no shopfront address published.
crestdiving.com.au · 0414 787 281
Woebegone Freedive
Named by sitesHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
Freediving school; official site live (Unit 3/1 Erina Rd Huskisson) with online bookings and a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2026 award.
woebegone.com.au
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


The Whorehouse: frequently asked questions
How deep is The Whorehouse?
The Whorehouse reaches a maximum depth of 26 m, with the shallowest part at about 13 m; most of the dive is spent around 22 m.
What certification do I need to dive The Whorehouse?
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 intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, an overhead environment, cold water.
Can I shore dive The Whorehouse?
No, it is reached by boat (about 25 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive The Whorehouse?
Year-round in suitable swell.
What marine life will I see at The Whorehouse?
Regularly recorded: Silver sweep, striped seapike, yellowtail, leatherjackets (many species), sponges, wobbegongs.
What wetsuit do I need at The Whorehouse?
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October.
How cold is the water at The Whorehouse?
Typically 19-23 °C in summer and 15-17 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at The Whorehouse?
Overhead environment – good buoyancy, torch recommended; depth 20–26 m; exposed coast; Defence firing-range sea closures. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to The Whorehouse?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay's white sand and clear water make it the best-known dive destination on the NSW south coast. The Docks, Stoney Creek and the Arch on the northern headland, and Cabbage Tree Point on the south, are boat dives with sponge gardens, grey nurse sharks in season and fur seals from Drum and Drumsticks. Inside the bay, Hyams Beach, Murrays Beach and the Green Patch reefs are gentle shore dives with seadragons and octopus.
Getting there: Two and a half hours south of Sydney. Dive shops in Huskisson run daily charters; shore dives inside the bay have car parks at Hyams, Murrays and Green Patch (Booderee National Park entry fee applies).
Sources
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=122
- deep6divingjervisbay.com.au/jervis_bay_dive_sites.htm
- currarong.org.au/things-to-do/diving
Data confidence: High. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
Nearby dive sites
More cave/cavern dives in New South Wales
Explore more
This region
Similar dives
Marine life










