DestinationsAccess update — checked 13 October 2026: Dive Ningaloo reports that Exmouth Navy Pier is closed for extensive maintenance. No reopening date is confirmed; the operator is awaiting Department of Defence updates.
Navy Pier is a distinctive dive beneath an active naval jetty near Exmouth, in Western Australia. For alternative trip planning, see our Ningaloo diving guide and Ningaloo travel guide.
Access and conditions
The pier is not open for independent public access. Dive Ningaloo says it holds the sole scuba-tour licence. When diving resumes, confirm eligibility, access requirements and the actual schedule directly with the operator.
Strong tidal currents restrict dives to slack water. Visibility is typically 3–10 metres and varies with weather and tide; the site should not be described as having no current.
Marine life
The structure attracts schooling fish, groupers, sharks and macro life such as nudibranchs and frogfish. Individual sightings are never guaranteed.
Source checked 13 October 2026: Dive Ningaloo’s Navy Pier access notice and site information.
You can dive Navy Pier all year long. Access: from the Shore. See the map of Navy Pier on the right for the exact location.
Fishes you may spot while diving Navy Pier
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Angel Fish
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Barracuda
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Batfish
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Boxfish
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Frogfish
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Goatfish
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Lion Fish
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Lobster
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Moray Eel
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Nudibranch
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Parrotfish
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Sea Snake
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Whitetip Shark
... and more fishes & sea life, Nurse Shark, Wobbegong Shark
Photos
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Blue Nudibranch in Lembeh StraitPhoto by Rich Guest -
Lion Fish swimming in crystal clear waterPhoto by Agnes Tjandranegara -
FrogfishPhoto by Jihye Lee -
CrabPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Closeup NudibranchPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Red Yellow FrogfishPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Sea Snake SeaPhoto by Rich Guest -
Underwater PhotographyPhoto by Agnes Tjandranegara -
Two Nudibranch ColorfulPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Batfish CloseupPhoto by Matthieu Billaud
Diving Reviews for this region
Ningaloo Reef
The Ningaloo Reef is located on the stunning West Coast of Australia. Choose Exmouth for the North West Cape and Coral Bay for a compact reef holiday farther south. This is a fringing-reef destination with shore snorkelling, boat dives and seasonal wildlife trips; it is not part of the Great Barrier
This is the best dive site in Australia to spot strange fishes. Water is nit very clear but still ok. It is a lust dive if you are in the Ningaloo reef area.
Navy Pier was the best of my dives so far. It is not a demanding dive. No currents. About 14m deep. Visibility was not a problem at all. The amount of fish and other critters was astonishing. Just hover and watch! I didn’t see grey nurses, however, as they leave the pier when water temperature raises above a certain degree. But the whitetips and wobbegongs were there. I dove with Ningaloo Whaleshark-n-dive an can recommend them as a good operator.
Why is the Navy Pier for advanced divers? It doesn’t sound like the conditions are to rough?
I dived here a couple of months ago. Unfortunately it had been very windy the week prior, so conditions weren’t the best. Vis was 1-5m, varying throughout various parts of the Pier.
Despite this, we still saw a huge variety of marine life, grey nurse sharks, lion fish, cod, catfish eels… I could never name them all! I can see that on a better day, this would be a fantastic dive. It’s also a very easy dive, with constant depth and simple to navigate.
PS The pier is not longer an advanced dive – they even do intro-dives and courses there too now.
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Hi, I am planning to go for Holliday to ningaloo. And I wonder if it is possible for diving in the first week of January. Can you tell which days are available?.
Many thanks in advance,
Raul Martin
Best to contact the dive company directly to get what days they go and what are best weather conditions. They were very helpful when I went. They may also have a Facebook page. Sorry, I haven’t dived there for years.