Jervis Bay, the area around Bowen Island

Jervis Bay · Australia · Reef · Sand slope

Bowen Island

Juvenile fish over sand and rock groups, from 5 m to about 20 m

Area photo: Dave Naithani · CC BY-SA 3.0

Bowen Island sits on the south side of the entrance to Jervis Bay and has dives right around its edges, from the shallow sand and rock of the Nursery to a wall further round. Most of the diving runs between about 5 m and 20 m, with sand sloping to 30 m at the deeper end, and the shallow ground is a straightforward open-water dive.

Also known as The Nursery.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Bowen Island: typical dive 5–20 m (15–66 ft), deepest point 30 m (100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m20 m30 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

35.1189° S, 150.7681° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

The island carries a number of separate dives around it, and the one run most often is the Nursery: a maximum of 12 m over a sandy bottom with groups of rock formations spread across the site, usually protected from the outside sea conditions. It is described as a good open-water dive for beginners, shallow enough for a long bottom time and workable on days when the swell is up outside the bay.

Further around from the Nursery is a site that starts at five metres, drops over a wall to 15 m and then slopes down into sand at 30 m, described as an excellent multi-level site for all levels of diver: down the wall, out across the sand, back up the slope for the shallow end of the dive. Schools of juvenile fish use the island as protection from larger animals, and ocean sunfish have been recorded here stopping at the cleaning stations.

Marine life and season

  • Reef fish swarms
  • Mola mola
Month-by-month season rating for Bowen Island
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodGoodGood

Season follows Jervis Bay: Apr–Jul is clearest as summer runoff clears; seals are present through winter and grey nurse numbers peak in the cooler months.

Sources

  1. Bowen Island, Jervis Bay — Zentacle
  2. Jervis Bay Dive Site Locations (2019 archive) — Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay (Wayback Machine)
  3. Bowen Island — OpenStreetMap

More dive sites in Jervis Bay

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Crocodile Head

A boat-only deep dive to about 30 m on the Beecroft Peninsula

to 30 madvanced

Reef

Drum and Drumsticks

Multi-level sponge reef, 10-30 m, with the Wandra wreck alongside

10–30 mintermediate

Reef

Echo Point

Kelp gardens and rock gutters, no deeper than about 13 m

to 13 mbeginner

Reef

Murrays Beach

A self-guided shore dive over kelp and seagrass in 8-12 m

5–12 mbeginner

Reef

Point Perpendicular

Boulder swim-throughs under a 100 m cliff, from 6 m to 35 m

6–35 mintermediate

Reef

Seal Colony

Winter seals over boulder ground, with the bottom at 25-30 m

to 30 madvanced

Cave & cavern

Slot Cave

A 60 m slot in the cliff, entered at 16-18 m and naturally lit

16–18 mintermediate

Cave & cavern

Spider Cave

A true overhead cave running 70-80 m back into the cliff

16–30 madvanced

Similar dives elsewhere

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Manta Ray Bay

Whitsundays · Australia

A resident Maori wrasse called George, and a slope to 30 m

14–16 m · max 30 mbeginner

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Little Beach

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Beach entry to a jetty and a sunken barge at 12 m

3–12 mbeginner

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The Caves

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A 12 m ledge where rays stop to be cleaned

to 12 mbeginner

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Fortescue Bay

Eaglehawk Neck · Australia

Beach access at the end of 12 km of unsealed road

to 30 mintermediate