Wineglass Bay is Tasmania's most photographed beach, and the shallow reef at the site of the old whaling station offers a secluded snorkel for those who make the walk. The Marine Life Network guide rates it 4 out of 10 as a dive but emphasises the beauty and seclusion of the setting: a kelp garden with reef fish in 2-4 m, and the wreck of the fishing vessel Wenona, lost in 1981.

Whaling was carried out from Wineglass Bay in the 1820s and 1830s, and the curved bay is said to have been named for its shape or, in some tellings, for the colour of the water during whaling. The remains of the station are on shore; under water there is little of historic interest apart from the Wenona's fittings. The kelp and reef shelter wrasse, leatherjackets, salmon and other shallow-water fish, and dolphins are often seen in the bay.

The walk over the saddle from the Wineglass Bay car park takes about an hour each way and is steep, so most visitors bring only a mask, snorkel and fins. For divers with a boat the bay is a pleasant stop on a trip down the peninsula to Lemon Rock and Schouten Island, but the diving itself is limited compared with those sites.

Visibility is often poor after rough weather, and the bay is exposed to easterly swell.

Some context helps set expectations for all Freycinet diving. The peninsula's pink granite continues under water as rounded boulders, cracks and steep faces, and the area sits where the warm East Australian Current meets cooler southern water, so species lists mix typical Tasmanian fish with more northern visitors. Over recent decades warming water and grazing by the long-spined sea urchin, which has spread south from New South Wales, have thinned kelp beds along the east coast, and descriptions written in the 1990s may not match what you find today.

From Coles Bay drive to the Wineglass Bay car park in Freycinet National Park (Parks Pass required). The Wineglass Bay track climbs over the saddle in the Hazards and descends to the beach - the Marine Life Network guide calls it a strenuous one-hour walk, which rules out scuba gear for most people; this is a snorkel site unless you arrive by boat. Boats can reach Wineglass Bay from Coles Bay around Cape Degerando or from Bicheno (roughly 1-1.5 hr), weather permitting, and anchor off the southern end.

Wineglass Bay faces east and is exposed to easterly and north-easterly swell, which produces a shore break and stirs up sand. Visibility is poor after rough weather. It is sheltered from westerlies.

Boat access requires a calm sea around Cape Degerando. Rain washes tannin-stained runoff into Great Oyster Bay, and summer afternoons commonly bring a fresh north-easterly sea breeze, so plan dives for the morning.

Snorkel or dive from the beach over the kelp garden near the old whaling station site, look for the remains of the Wenona, and return along the rocks. Keep depth under 4 m. Turn the dive at half gas (thirds where current or overhead sections are involved), deploy an SMB before surfacing for the live-boat pick-up, and complete a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m where depth allows.

No dedicated dive operator at Coles Bay or Freycinet. Sites are dived from private boats and occasional club expeditions (Tas Uni Dive Club, TSDC, Launceston clubs); the Marine Life Network guide notes that Coles Bay is the usual starting point for Schouten Island charters. Cruise and kayak operators in Coles Bay do not offer scuba.

Wineglass Bay Cruises (Coles Bay) visit the bay but do not offer diving.