Sources · Destination Guide

Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay

Temperate sponge gardens, current-swept walls, historic wrecks and seal-rich bay snorkeling within reach of Melbourne.

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Destination Guide Sources For Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay

Reference links used to build and maintain this guide.

45 sources • Updated Oct 29, 2026

Written by DiveJourney. Built from public sources and local operator knowledge. Last updated Oct 29, 2026.

Parks Victoria - Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park - Official reefs, wildlife, visitor areas, restrictions, and seasonal guidance.
Parks Victoria - Portsea Hole - Site depth, Advanced Open Water minimum guidance, hazards, not suitable for snorkeling.
Parks Victoria - Popes Eye - Protected artificial reef, snorkeling inside ring, fish and currents.
Parks Victoria - ex-HMAS Canberra - Wreck position, condition and certification warnings, dive-only access, wreck hazards.
Parks Victoria - ex-HMAS Canberra Recreation Reserve - Restrictions including opening hours, boating zones and rough ocean hazards.
Parks Victoria - Portsea Pier closure - Portsea Pier maintenance closure from July 20, 2026; no public pier access.
Parks Victoria - Notice to Mariners 386(T)-2026 - Marine works exclusion and no vessel access to Portsea Pier from August 17 until further notice.
Parks Victoria - Portsea Pier maintenance news - Official alternative of Rye Pier for shore diving and snorkeling during Portsea closure.
Scubabo Dive Victoria - Dive, Snorkel and Stay - Provider day boats, Queenscliff/Portsea marketing, equipment, lodge, snorkeling routes.
Scubabo Dive Victoria - Locations - Queenscliff operations, SSI courses and freediving; Cairns activities intentionally excluded.
Scubabo Dive Victoria - Dive Courses - Operator diving certification training.
Scubabo Dive Victoria - Melbourne Freediving - Freediving courses, seals and Lonsdale Wall, not evidence of independent unaccompanied tours.
Scubabo Dive Victoria - FAQ - Certification and buddy rules for freedivers; wreck penetration, SMBs and weather.
Scubabo booking calendar - October 2026 sample - Sample advertised routes, qualifications and boat-charter prices, not proof of actual departure.
Parks Victoria - Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary - Accessible shore snorkeling, shallow reef, beach patrol and cultural landscape.
Parks Victoria - Discover an underwater world - Rye Pier sponges, cold temperate marine life and winter spider crabs.
Parks Victoria - Meet unique marine life - May-June spider crab seasonal aggregation near Rye and Blairgowrie.
Marine and Coasts Victoria - Giant Spider Crab - Sporadic, citizen-science observations of winter aggregations.
Parks Victoria - Chinamans Hat - Seal-haulout access and required minimum encounter distances.
Parks Victoria - Top 7 snorkeling places - Chinamans Hat slack-water and wildlife etiquette guidance.
Parks Victoria - South Channel Fort - Boat-only island, heritage and operator-led keep access.
Parks Victoria - Point Nepean set-aside determination - Official annual October-December South Channel Fort landing/access restriction for storm-petrel nesting.
Parks Victoria - Swan Bay - Ramsar wetland, sheltered shore activities, canoeing and birdwatching.
Parks Victoria - Point Nepean National Park - Point Nepean fort heritage, access, Frankston-Portsea 788 and Queenscliff ferry.
Parks Victoria - Fort Nepean - Walking and cycling access, exposed coast, current track closures and water supply.
Parks Victoria - Point Nepean shuttle service - Current shuttle pricing and route, with day-of-visit verification.
Queenscliffe Maritime Museum - Visit Victoria - Queenscliff heritage museum and indicative entry.
Peninsula Hot Springs - Visit Victoria - Bookable day spa in Fingal and indicative pricing.
Searoad Ferries - Timetable - Queenscliff-Sorrento vehicle and foot crossing; 40 minutes, check-in times.
Melbourne Airport - Bus services - Airport SkyBus options and onward transit.
Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Melbourne climate - City climate context for southern summer vs winter, not site-specific dive forecasts.
Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Victorian marine forecasts - Marine warning and forecast links for Port Phillip and Bass Strait.
EPA Victoria - Water quality forecasts - Port Phillip recreational beach water forecasts; rain/runoff hazard.
Marine and Coasts Victoria - Pathogens - Stormwater, rainfall and microbial water quality context.
Marine and Coasts Victoria - Seals - Australian fur seals at Chinamans Hat and other bay haulout sites.
Safe Transport Victoria - Safety equipment - Marine VHF emergency channels and beacon/equipment obligations.
Safe Transport Victoria - Raising the alarm - Marine distress frequencies and offshore emergency communication.
The Alfred - Hyperbaric Medicine - Melbourne specialist hyperbaric care, contact and referral information.
SPUMS - Diving Emergency Numbers - National emergency advice and The Alfred duty hyperbaric service.
Australian Home Affairs - Visa list - Official visitor visa/ETA/eVisitor categories; passport-specific eligibility required.
Australian Government - Travelling to Australia - Declare risk goods and clean water sports equipment.
Tourism Australia - Key facts - Australian dollars, cards, ATM prevalence and tipping customs.
Moonraker wildlife and sightseeing tour - Visit Victoria - Sorrento wildlife boat sightseeing with seasonally advertised dates.
Destination hero photo by -wuppertaler (historical) - St Kilda Beach and Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne (2023 sunset). Photo: -wuppertaler / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. Cropped and resized.
Destination hero photo by Josh Withers - Aerial photograph of Brighton Beach and its bathing boxes. Unsplash License (https://unsplash.com/license). Photographer: https://unsplash.com/@joshwithers. Cropped and resized for the cover.