Albany · Australia · Reef
Herold Reef
An ancient submerged limestone coastline in 4-16 m
Area photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Herold Reef is an ancient submerged limestone coastline 30 minutes by boat from the Albany Town Marina, dived in 4-16 m. The shallow depth buys long bottom times over an old shoreline's structure, and most of the fish endemic to this coast turn up on it, Western blue groper, WA dhufish and queen snapper among them. Exposure is what decides whether it dives.
Where it is and how deep
35.0328° S, 118.0373° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
What you are diving is an old coastline the sea has since covered: 4 to 16 m of submerged limestone holding the structure a shore once had. That makes for a long dive by Albany standards, because the depth never forces you up - the limits here are your gas and the conditions rather than any ceiling on bottom time, and the whole site can be worked slowly.
Most of the fish endemic to this stretch of coast are found on it, including Western blue groper, WA dhufish and queen snapper. The shallow parts are the ones that move. With any swell running there is surge through the structure, and in a heavier swell the shallowest ground breaks, so this is a dive that gets booked on the forecast rather than on the day you want it.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Albany: Charters run year-round; December to March is the dry, warm half of the year, June to August the wet half with July the wettest month, and the whales are in the Sound July to October.
Know before you go
- The site is exposed and picks up a fair bit of surge with any swell; the shallower parts can break in heavier swell, so it is a forecast-dependent dive.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Herold Reef?+
The dive runs 4-16 m over submerged limestone, so bottom time is limited by gas rather than depth on most profiles.
Sources
- Herold Reef (Scubago) — Scubago
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