Busselton Jetty & Underwater Observatory
Guided dive among the pilings of the 1.84 km Busselton Jetty, the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, in Geographe Bay. The pilings are covered in sponges, corals and other growth and are home to a very rich, temperate-water community (a dive operator quotes over 300 species); a 13-sculpture underwater installation forms a diving trail. Dives are to a maximum of about 9 m, easy and sheltered, and visitors can also see the same community from the Underwater Observatory (8 m below the surface, near the jetty's end, about 1.8 km from shore).
Facts
- Region: Western Australia – Ningaloo, Rottnest & the south-west
- Area: Geographe Bay (Busselton & Dunsborough) – temperate
- Depth: 3–9 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: shore, reef
- Coordinates: -33.62996, 115.33857 (approximate)
- Highlights: jetty pilings, sponges, soft coral, schooling fish, underwater sculptures, nudibranchs
- Tips: Dive with a tour operator (e.g. Swan Dive or Perth Scuba); jetty entry fees apply. Best in the warmer months (a listing quotes tours most days December–April). Visibility quoted 10–25 m. Position is the observatory near the seaward end of the jetty.