Australia’s 50 Great Dives index

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EXMOUTH NAVY PIER

Exmouth, North West Cape, Western Australia

Type of dive:

Jetty

Snorkelling:

Unfortunately, not allowed!

Scuba:

Open Water

Access:

Shore, via bus only

Depth:

12 – 14 metres (40 -45’)

Visibility:

5 – 10 metres (15-30’)

Water temperature:

20 – 28°C (68-82°F)

Seasonal:

No, can visit anytime

The Exmouth Navy Pier is arguably the best jetty dive in Australia, if not the World!

The pier is located on Western Australia’s remote North West Cape off Point Murat in the Ningaloo Marine Park, just a short distance from the township of Exmouth.

Exmouth was established in the late 1960’s to support the U.S. Naval Communication Station North West Cape, later renamed U.S. Naval Communication Station Harold Holt.

Harold Holt was the Australian Prime Minister when he disappeared while spear fishing off the back beaches of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria in 1967.

The pier is still a working defence facility and for security reasons diving can only be accessed by a local licensed operator for divers with positive identification such as a passport or Australian driving licence.

There are over 200 identified fish species under the pier and to protect the amazing diversity of fish life all dives must be guided, and no fishing is allowed off the pier.

The pier is a basic ‘T’ structure around 110 metres (120 yd) long and reaches a depth of 14 metres (45‘) and, as with any jetty dive, underwater navigation is easy.

The pier supports huge schools of fish such as sweetlips, barracuda and trevally, and solitary species like giant Queensland groper, tasselled wobbegongs and white tip reef sharks. It is not unusual for a visit by a grey nurse shark or two during the winter months.

Smaller coral fish like blue angelfish, Moorish idols, clown fish and lionfish provide excellent photographic opportunities.

It is hard not get carried away with the abundant fish life and a close look will reveal an incredible array of delicate corals and other invertebrate life including colourful nudibranchs.

Inquisitive sea snakes foraging for food will often follow divers looking for a treat as their fins stir up the bottom.

Due to the area’s large tidal range resulting in strong currents, the Exmouth Navy Pier can only be dived at slack water which occurs for only a short window every high and low water.

Tidal access limits diving activity, another reason why the Navy Pier maintains its fantastic diverse biomass.

The Exmouth Navy Pier is a great night dive too!

Special thanks to Kirstin Sheppard of Dive Ningaloo.

OTHER GREAT DIVES WHILE YOU ARE THERE
Muiron Islands, Ningaloo Reef, Lighthouse Bay, West Side and Montebello Islands.

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.
If the Exmouth Navy Pier is closed, any other dive with a preferred operator can be registered.