Located off Western Australia’s central coast, the Abrolhos Islands consist of a group of 122 windswept reef systems and coral atolls. Few of the islands even extend high enough above sea level to host visitors. To look at them above the water line, they appear uninspiring – just scrub, old fish shacks, and broken coral.
But dive below the ocean’s surface and a delightful surprise welcomes you-- some of the best scuba diving you can imagine. Divers come from all over the world to visit, and several-day excursions on liveaboard scuba diving boats allow for a generous sampling of dive sites. What draws them is the diverse array of marine life created by the swarm Leeuwin current that flows through the area. The colorful reef life is said to rival anything found on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Abrolhos Islands diving experience is not for the novice. Good sense is needed when diving here, so save the Kamikaze tactics for later: dive sites are in an isolated area with no nearby decompression facilities. Large sharks are also known to frequent the waters, so if you are fearful, you may want to choose a different holiday.
Diving is possible year-round due to the many sheltered areas, but the ideal times for diving are when winds aren’t so fierce—usually March to May and September to October.
Whenever you come, pack a camera or video equipment, because the colorful fish, coral, and other marine life make for a memorable underwater landscape. Expect to find large masses of plate and staghorn coral, anemone fish, butterfly cod, Spanish mackerel, wobbegong sharks, large bald chin grouper, longsnout boarfish, and zebra angelfish.
Each dive site offers its own treasures. Here’s a small selection of what the Abrolhos Islands have to offer:
Wreck of the Batavia
Probably the main dive attraction in the island chain, the Batavia wreck site was once the resting place of a Dutch ship that struck a coral reef in 1629 and sank near Beacon Island. Legend has it that one of the survivors took control and killed 125 people, including other survivors and island women and children. The wreck was not discovered for over 300 years, when it was finally found by lobster fisherman. Today, you can still spot the anchor and three large cannons from the surface. Most of the other artifacts and the Batavia herself rest in the Western Australian Museum, but the ship’s outline still remains at the reef’s sandy bottom. It’s a fun shallow dive in a few meters of very clear water with little current, and if you like some ghostly atmospherics, this is definitely the spot.
Anemone Lump
A favorite site for liveaboards, the site’s steep sides are awash in colorful plate coral and sponges, below kelp, soft coral, and broken limestone pieces. And as the name would foretell, you’ll find lots of anemones here, home to the ubiquitous anemone fish, as well as kingfish, Spanish mackerel, wrasses, and yellow butterfly fish. Maximum depth here is 30 meters, with the lump beginning at just 5 meters below the surface.
Pelsaert Island
Visibility is great at this popular dive site, often exceeding 45 meters. That comes in handy when you want to take in the bountiful sea life here. The site features a steep drop-off that starts at 6 meters and descends to the ocean floor at 25 meters, as well as several coral bommies. Look for goatfish, angelfish, coral trout, and mackerel swimming among them. The island is the site of a guano miners’ jetty, built a century ago, and now a haven for a wide variety of migratory sea birds. You can get in a little bird-watching above the surface, and watch dolphins at play in the interior waters of the reef.
Again, this is only a sampling of what’s in store for you here. With 122 islands and pristine reefs to choose from, one liveaboard holiday may just not be enough!