South West Rocks · Australia · Reef
Fish Bommies
Black coral on the gutter walls, then semi-trailer-sized boulders
Area photo: Richard Ling · CC BY-SA 2.0
A deeper dive on the southeast corner of Fish Rock, at the bottom of the gutter that leads to the deep entrance of Fish Rock Cave. The route runs from the moorings past black coral trees on the gutter walls out to a field of very large boulders, with grey nurse sharks in the gutter in season and a resident loggerhead turtle among the rocks.
Where it is and how deep
30.9387° S, 153.1008° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
This is a deeper dive, with a maximum of 32 metres, and it can be run in several ways depending on the dive plan. Dived from the moorings, you descend to the bottom of the moorings, where in season large numbers of grey nurse sharks cruise the gutter or rest in it, some of them up to 3 metres long.
From there the route turns left, either at the black coral tree or at the end of the gutter, and heads for the boulders ahead. Look at the gutter walls on the way past: the black coral trees growing there are usually white, and sometimes a pinkish orange. The boulders themselves are big, some of them semi-trailer sized, and one of them is quite likely to turn out to be one of the giant loggerhead turtles that make Fish Rock home.
Marine life and season
- Sand tiger sharks
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows South West Rocks: Grey nurse numbers peak Jun–Nov; the Eastern Australian Current brings the warmest, clearest water Jan–Apr.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Fish Bommies?+
The dive has a maximum depth of 32 metres. It starts at the bottom of the gutter that leads to the deep entrance of Fish Rock Cave, on the southeast corner of the rock.
Sources
- Dive Sites | Fish Rock & South West Rocks — Fish Rock Dive Centre
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Similar dives elsewhere
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