South West Rocks · Australia · Pinnacle · Drift
The Pinnacle
Twin peaks at 8 m over a gutter full of grey nurse sharks
Area photo: Richard Ling · CC BY-SA 2.0
A submerged twin-peaked formation on the northeastern end of Fish Rock, rising from 30 to 35 metres up to about 8 metres below the surface. It sits in the path of the current that usually runs north to south, so it is only dived when that current is not too strong. Grey nurse sharks favour the sand gutter under its walls.
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
Divers drop onto the two peaks at about 8 metres and then work down the sheer walls towards the base at 30 to 35 metres. It is not unusual to find a vantage point part way down and look into the sand gutter below at 20 to 30 or more grey nurse sharks holding station there, which is why the dive centre calls this a favourite spot for the grey nurse population at Fish Rock.
The northern side of the Pinnacle is where the dive centre sees some of the largest ornate and spotted wobbegongs at Fish Rock. Green and loggerhead turtles work the same faces, munching the sponges that encrust the formation. Near the beginning or the end of the dive, look into the Turtle Cradle, where the Pinnacle joins Fish Rock at about 16 metres and one of the resident loggerheads has a favoured resting spot.
How the dive finishes depends on the water. When the current is weak or absent the Pinnacle is a whole dive in itself, circling the two peaks and the walls between them. When it is running, the Pinnacle is instead the starting point of a drift along either the eastern or the western side of Fish Rock, ending at the Shark Gutter, the Aquarium, or sometimes at the shallow entrance to Fish Rock Cave.
Marine life and season
- Sand tiger sharks
- Wobbegongs
- 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.
Know before you go
- The site sits in the path of the north-to-south current and is only dived when that current is not too strong, so the call is made on the day and the dive may become a drift along Fish Rock instead.
Questions divers ask
How deep is The Pinnacle?+
The formation rises from 30 to 35 metres at its base to two peaks about 8 metres below the surface, and it joins Fish Rock at around 16 metres at the Turtle Cradle.
Can The Pinnacle always be dived?+
No. It sits in the path of the current that usually runs from north to south past Fish Rock, and the dive centre only runs it when that current is not too strong. Otherwise it becomes the start of a drift along the rock.
Sources
- Dive Sites | Fish Rock & South West Rocks — Fish Rock Dive Centre
More dive sites in South West Rocks
Reef
A tennis-court-sized reef with resident green turtles
Reef
The southernmost reef where plate coral grows this thickly
Reef
Black coral on the gutter walls, then semi-trailer-sized boulders
One of the largest ocean caverns in the Southern Hemisphere
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Eagle rays over the two narrow gutters at the southern tip
Drift
A deep drift to 40 m with groper out of the shadows
Reef
Flat rock at 14 m where hammerheads patrol in summer
Wreck
A 1950 motor lighter upright at 87 m, found only in 2009
Similar dives elsewhere
Two caves that ragged-tooth sharks use, marked as a winter feature
Mother of Sharks: hammerheads and tigers on a lone pinnacle
Deep sponge reef and fur seals on Tasmania's hardest pinnacle
A current-swept thila where barracuda stack in groups