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Divers Den

ABROLHOS ISLANDS

Shipwreck, mutiny and murder!

One of Australia’s most infamous events unfolded in 1629 on a remote group of islands called the Houtman-Abrolhos Islands, 55 kilometres (34 mi) off Geraldton on the mid-Western Australian coast.

Discovered in 1619, the Houtman-Abrolhos Islands ‘The Abrolhos’ is a group of 122 islands extending north to south for over 100 kilometres (60 mi).

The islands’ coral reefs are the Indian Oceans southernmost coral reefs, one of the world’s most significant sea bird breeding sites and also home to a huge western rock lobster fishing industry.

The Abrolhos Marine Park was established on 6 April 1983 and covers about 91,300 hectares (226,000 ac).

There are three main island groups; Easter, Pelsart and Wallabi, collectively known as the ‘Graveyard of Ships’.

The islands are the site of numerous shipwrecks, including the famous Zeewijk (1727), and the infamous Batavia (1629).

Batavia was on her maiden voyage carrying 316 passengers and crew when she hit Morning Reef in 1629. Many lost their lives and 268 survivors were left on Beacon Island and another nearby island while Commodore Pelsart, with 48 of his men, headed for Batavia (now Jakarta) for help.

While Pelsart was away, Cornelisz lead a mutiny that resulted in the murder of all but around 100 of the 268 survivors. When Pelsart returned on a rescue ship, Cornelisz and his cohorts were tried and executed.

The wreck of the Batavia was discovered in 1963 and the Western Australian Museum has since recovered and reconstructed the remains of the vessel which can now be seen in the museum’s Fremantle Maritime and Shipwreck Galleries.

There is a replica of the Batavia in Lelystad in the Netherlands.

The Abrolhos Islands lay in the path of the Leeuwin Current which flows from north to south carrying warm tropical water creating a marine environment which is a diverse mix of tropical and temperate marine life – a diver’s paradise!

Massive coral gardens support an enormous array of fish life including baldchin groper, coral trout, Western Australian dhufish, pink snapper, sampson fish and yellowtail kingfish.

Lobster, turtles, manta rays, seals, whales, sharks, and huge schools of bait fish also make the Houtman-Abrolhos Islands a world-class diving mecca.

Special thanks to Tristan Coombes of Batavia Coast Dive.
Copyright © 2024 Steve Sinclair

Department of Fisheries Dive Trails to follow while you are there:
Long Island, Beacon Island, Turtle Bay, Anemone Lump, Coral Patches, Morley Island and Rootail Coral.

2026 GREAT AUSTRALIAN DIVE CHALLENGE
Dive Registration
To register this dive for validation, go to: www.50greatdives.com.
NOTE: Entrants should do this dive with one of the following preferred dive services.

DIVE SERVICES

OTHER SERVICES

DIVE TRAVEL SERVICES

WATER TEMPERATURES: