Dec 15, 2022 4 min read Underwater Perth

Creatures

Snorkelling over the seaweed at Mettams Pool.

Sea creatures are everywhere, at every spot and in all conditions. If you're starting out, Mettam's Pool is a great snorkel, and Ammo Jetty is where you can find the better-camouflaged creatures such as octopuses and sea horses.

If you need more adrenaline, try last week's theme: Beasts.

Mettams Pool

Marmion Marine Park. Depth 0-5m. Snorkel.
Low swell (less than a metre). Easterly or northerly wind.

Mettams Pool is one of Perth's favourite snorkelling spots. It's a small sheltered lagoon just north of Trigg Beach, in Marmion Marine Park. When the swell is low, and there is a nice easterly wind, you can expect a very pleasant and easy snorkel.

The sea life here is a great introduction to the usual characters of Perth waters. You can see most of them in the protection of the shallow lagoon, inside the reef in 0-2m of water. Keep a particular eye out for redlip morwong, buffalo bream, and the shellfish (including abalone).

Before you visit, I recommend picking up a copy of Common Marine life of Rottnest Island by Britt Anderson, sold as a small 'bush book' in various outdoor shops and bookstores. This is focused on Rottnest, but covers much of what you will see along the coast, including at Mettams. Once you start to recognise different species, the ocean becomes a much more familar place.

A step up from there is Wonders of Western Waters: The Marine Life of South-Western Australia by Sue Morrison and Ann Storrie, which appears to now be out of print, and The Perth Coast Fish Book by Glen Whisson and Alexandra Hoschke. Plant-wise, Marine Plants of the Perth Region by John Huisman, Julia Phillips and Cheryl Parker is another 'bush book' that will have you telling your kelp from your sargassum in no time. For a comprehensive look into plants, Marine Plants of Australia by John Huisman is the bible - and has one of my all-time favourite book covers.

The main danger at this site can be the swell/surge over the reef - if the weather is bad, give this site a miss. On the outside of the reef it is a bit deeper, getting down to 3-4m. This is a great spot to practice duck diving, especially through some of the accessible swim-throughs. On your way out, there are changing and shower facilities just up the stairs.

The deeper water on the outside of Mettams Pool.

Ammo Jetty

Woodman Point. Depth 0-9m. Dive or snorkel.
Low swell (less than a metre). Easterly or northerly wind.

Ammo Jetty is a popular dive spot in Coogee, south of the Coogee Maritime Trail. With easy beach access, plenty of parking, and lots of sea life - you will normally run into many other divers down there.

Life on the pylons

The structure of the jetty pylons provides a habitat for marine creatures you will struggle to find elsewhere. Swim slow and look close, because many of them are very tiny. One of the hardest to see is the seahorse, but the trick is to look for the shape of their tail wrapped around an anchor point.

Telesto coral on the pylons, with the bright white polyps on full display (left), and a seahorse camoflauged on another pylon (right)

Octopus

The biggest draw of this site for many divers is the octopus. They makes dens in nooks and crannies, but often venture out for food or curiosity. You can spot them first by the pile of recently-eaten shell around the den entrance.

Most them are octopus djinda, meaning 'star' in Noongar. This newly-named species was recently recognised as distinct from the gloomy octopus of the east coast.

Octopus djinda, partly dropping its camoflage to inspect my camera lens.

You can interact with these incredibly curious creatures by gently offering your hand. If you are lucky, they will reach out with their tentacles and give you a little handshake - it's a very weird feeling. Be warned though - they will steal your camera if given a chance - and they are much stronger than they look!

Octopus are curious creatures, and they will wrestle your camera from you if given a chance.

Your first night-dive?

Jetty dives are a great way to start night diving. They are easy to navigate, and have plenty of creatures that are much more active at night. I've seen many octopus, squid, and even baby Port Jackson sharks at Ammo after dark. After diving the site during the day, you should head along with a dive club one evening after work.