Liveaboard coral atolls from Broome, then reset with Cable Beach sunsets and Kimberley culture
Currently Viewing:
Overview
Broome is the sun drenched gateway to Western Australia's Kimberley coast, and the launch point for the Rowley Shoals: three remote coral atolls sitting about 300 km offshore on the edge of the continental shelf. Most visitors reach the Shoals on a small ship or dive liveaboard during the late dry season, when seas are calmer. Underwater, expect bright hard coral, gorgonians, clouds of reef fish, curious potato cod and Maori wrasse, plus drift dives along the outer walls. Back on land, reset between voyages with Cable Beach sunsets, pearling heritage in Chinatown, and Roebuck Bay shorebird viewing on the huge tides. Plan with a conservation mindset: use moorings, stay out of restricted zones, and never touch or collect marine life.
Broome is your logistics base. The Rowley Shoals are the real water headline: a chain of three coral atolls (Clerke Reef, Mermaid Reef, Imperieuse Reef) rising from deep ocean water and protected by two marine parks.
Most dives are reef wall or channel drifts with visibility often around 20 m to 40 m in season. Expect hard coral, gorgonians, schooling fish, and regular encounters with curious potato cod and Maori wrasse. Operators mix deeper wall dives with lagoon exploration, and you will typically get multiple water sessions per day when conditions cooperate.
The Shoals are managed across a State marine park (Clerke and Imperieuse) and a Commonwealth marine park (Mermaid Reef). Practical takeaways:
Broome is not just a departure point. Build in time before and after your liveaboard because weather can shift departures and arrivals.
Rowley Shoals trips are remote. Treat this like an expedition: bring spares for critical kit, carry surface signaling gear, and plan for limited communications offshore. In Broome's wet season (roughly Nov to Apr), heat, storms, and marine stingers are bigger considerations for beach time.
DiveJourney destination guides are living documents built from local knowledge, operator experience, and publicly available sources. Conditions, regulations, and logistics can change. Each guide shows its last update date and sources used.
Last updated: January 23, 2026 • 15 sources
If you see something inaccurate or outdated, you can submit an update. This is how the platform improves.
Trip callouts
Three oceanic atolls with lagoon and wall options in one trip, reached from Broome by liveaboard.
State and Commonwealth management with sanctuary style zones, species protections, and strict mooring and waste rules.
Operators range from dedicated dive liveaboards to expedition small ships with diving and snorkel programs.
Stay for sunsets, food, and culture before you head offshore, and keep buffer nights for schedule changes.
Reef fish and turtles year round in season, plus humpback whales passing the Shoals around Jul to Sep.
scuba
Why Broome and Rowley Shoals for Scuba Diving
Rowley Shoals diving is about pristine atoll walls, clear water, and that feeling of being far from everything. Most trips depart Broome on a liveaboard or expedition vessel (for example Odyssey Expeditions or Great Escape Cruises), steam overnight, then run full days of wall dives, channels, and lagoon exploration. The marine parks reward good buoyancy and respectful diving: use moorings, never touch coral, and remember that some zones are strictly no take.
freedive
Why Broome and Rowley Shoals for Freediving
For freedivers, the Rowley Shoals combine calm lagoons with immediate access to blue water drop offs. Clear conditions can make line sessions and exploration dives feel effortless, but this is still remote ocean diving. Access is mainly via liveaboard and expedition programs departing Broome (for example Odyssey Expeditions or True North Adventure Cruises), so plan around operator schedules and bring a complete safety system.
snorkel
Why Broome and Rowley Shoals for Snorkeling
Rowley Shoals snorkeling is world class when seas are calm: shallow lagoons, coral gardens, and dense fish life with visibility that can feel aquarium clear. The catch is logistics. The Shoals sit about 300 km offshore, so most snorkelers visit on the same liveaboard and expedition vessels that support scuba (for example Great Escape Cruises or True North). Broome then becomes your easy on land base for beaches, food, and tide timed Roebuck Bay experiences.
topside
What to do when you're not in the water
Broome is an easy place to build a two part trip: culture and sunsets onshore, then an offshore expedition to the Rowley Shoals. In town you can time your evenings for Cable Beach sunset, explore pearling heritage in Chinatown, and plan Roebuck Bay experiences around the tides. Add a low tide visit to Gantheaume Point for dinosaur footprints, and consider a Dampier Peninsula day for remote beaches and cultural experiences.
