HMAS Perth Dive Site

The HMAS Perth is one of the best Wreck dives in Australia. It is located in Western Australia near the town of Albany. The ex HMAS Perth is a former missile Destroyer. It is 133 meters long and 43 meters high! The battleship was sunk in 2001 in order to create a dive site and an artificial reef.

Dive site

The HMAS Perth lies in 35 meters of water on a sandy bottom. It now attracts a beautiful array of marine life. This dive is suitable for beginner divers as the conditions are often good and the wreck is quite easy to dive. It also makes a great spot for experienced divers with good possibilities of penetration. However, there is a bit of silt, so penetration should not be taken lightly.

The wreck is interesting because most of the original equipment is still visible. During its time in service, the HMAS Perth was under fire at least four times and you can still see the holes in the hull! Don’t miss checking out the Big Gun on the Deck too!

The mast of the ship is 8 meters above the water and there are 2 webcams allowing real time viewing of the conditions above and underwater.

While underwater, you can follow the interpretive dive trail that will guide you to the most interesting points of the wrecks. There is information about the history of the ship as well as the fauna.

There is generally no current and you can expect a visibility of about 15 meters. Snorkelling on the top of the wreck is also possible.

Marine Life

There is a good marine life around the HMAS Brisbane. You can spot kingfishes, cuttlefishes, Samson fishes, Jew fishes and lots of schools of various species. If you have the chance you can encounter a curious Sea lion!

During winter, you can also have the chance to spot a Humpback Whale, so keep your eyes open into the blue!

Access

The gateway to dive the HMAS Perth is the town of Albany in Western Australia. It just takes a few minutes by boat to reach the spot.

History

The HMAS Perth was build by the USA and was bought by Australia in 1963. The battleship has served during the Vietnam War and was under fire 4 times! The ship was also used for training and visit to other countries during its long carrier. The HMAS Perth has been decommissioned in 1999 before being sunk in 2001 in the King George Sound to create a wreck diving site.

Another battleship was called the HMAS Perth and was lost in 1942 during the World War II while fighting against Japan in the Sunda Strait in Indonesia.

You can dive HMAS Perth all year long. Access: from the Shore. See the map of HMAS Perth on the right for the exact location.