Intro to Shipwrecks
Shipwrecks! We love them! Full of history and sea life. They are staples of diving and snorkelling in Perth - here are the two best to start with.
Omeo Shipwreck and the Coogee Maritime Trail
Coogee. Depth 2-7m. Snorkel or Dive.
Low swell (less than a metre). Easterly or northerly wind.
The Coogee Maritime Trail is the best beginner snorkel spot in Perth. The trail is centred around the Omeo shipwreck, with artificial reef and sculptures to explore along the rock wall. There are stairs over the rock wall for easy access, near plenty of shade, grass and parking. You will see everyone from small children to experienced adult scuba divers on the wreck - it really is for everyone.
The Omeo Shipwreck
Omeo was used to transport cargo and passengers all over the world, under both sail and steam power. Notably, it helped build Australia's communications infrastructure: including the construction of the Bass Strait submarine cable (linking Tasmania to the mainland), and the Overland Telegraph line (linking Australia to Britain via Singapore). It also famously destroyed the Swanspit Lighthouse in Port Phillip Bay.
The ship was blown ashore during a storm in 1905, and has stayed stranded in the sand ever since. As the industrial landscape grew and changed around it, the wreck rusted and decayed. Now it rests just 20m from the rock wall, in a few metres of water - with only a bit of the stern sticking out above the waterline.
Artificial reef, artefacts and sculptures
The Maritime Trail follows the rock wall for about 180m, out from the shallows to about 7m depth. There are various different shapes of artifical reef (apollo, abitat, reef mats). Look for the yellow signs along the wall, which tell you about how far apart everything is.
In the shallows, there are some artefacts with information plaques, including an anchor, a replica cannon, and a railway wheel from Elizabeth Quay. About half way out is a huge sea star sculpture with a swim-through. Towards the end are the spectacular 'Reef Pyramids', which are excellent for freediving practice.
If you're new to snorkelling, or just haven't been to Coogee yet - do it this weekend. It is best in low swell and with an offshore wind (light easterlies) - often this is in the morning before the sea breeze comes in. Keep an eye on local snorkelling and diving facebook groups - people will be posting when the conditions are good.
North Mole Wreck
Fremantle. Depth 10m. Dive or Freedive.
Low swell (less than a metre). Easterly or southerly wind.
The North Mole wreck is another very accessible wreck site, if you are looking for something a bit deeper than Omeo. It makes an excellent quick morning dive, or an approachable first night-dive.
The wreck is likely a Priestman Grab Dredge which sunk around 1928. These worked dredging channels in the Swan River and Fremantle Harbour at the beginning of the 20th Century, making it an important part of early Perth's transport infrastructure. During the construction of North Mole, the Museum moved it 200m north to its present position, so that it would remain accessible to divers. Most of the other wrecks in the area are now covered by reclaimed land. Read more in Ian Warne's 2020 report to the Maritime Archaeological Association of Western Australia.
The most risky bit of this site is the entry: you climb down rocks from the fishing platform on the north side of the mole. That being said, it's relatively safe if you take it slow. Best to wait for swell at 1m or below, but the site is otherwise very well protected. In the water, there is a pole trail for divers, which will guide you 180m north to the wreck site. I strongly recommend Dave Jackson's Diving Western Australia's Shipwrecks page on this - which has a full guide including an excellent map.
The site is also an excellent freedive. At 180m from shore and 10m depth, it is a similar trek to the reef temples at the end of the Coogee Maritime Trail – so if you can comfortably freedive around the bottom half of those, you can do North Mole without a tank. It certainly makes the climb down easier! The hardest bit is finding the wreck, but normally there are a few craypots on it, and you can swim towards the marker buoys.
Every Thursday this summer I will be writing about a dive and snorkel site around Perth. Next week's theme is: Beasts.
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