Victoria

Queenscliffe Borough

Australia

"HMAS J3 formerly HMS J3 was a J class submarine built for the Royal Navy by HM Dockyard at Pembroke in Wales and launched on 4 December 1915, was transferred to Australia on 25 March 1919 and operated out of Geelong in Victoria, paid off on 12 July 1922, was sold in April 1924 and sunk in 1926" Source: Wikipedia.org

Near Swan Island

HMAS J3 Submarine is also known as Swan Island Submarine.

Swan Island

HMAS J3 Submarine

The Pope's Eye is the uncompleted foundation for an island fort intended to defend the entrance to Port Phillip Bay in the state of Victoria, Australia. It has been protected as a marine reserve since 1979 and is now part of the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park. It is located about 7 km inside Port Phillip Heads, 3 km east of Queenscliff and 5 km north of Portsea. It is named after a naval midshipman and has no religious connotations.

Construction of the Pope's Eye began in the 1880s, under the supervision of Sir William Jervoise, by dumping bluestone boulders on a submerged (12 m deep) sandbank until they formed a horse-shoe shaped artificial reef, open to the north-east, just above high-water level. Construction ceased before completion as a fort because improvements in naval gunnery enabled the entrance to Port Phillip (The Rip) and the associated shipping channel to be protected by guns at the nearby Swan Island fort, as well as at Fort Queenscliff and Point Nepean, making the Pope's Eye redundant for military purposes. The reef now now hosts a navigation beacon.

The inside of the 'eye' is only about 2 m deep and is accessible to small boats as a sheltered anchorage. It is protected from strong currents and the whole structure is popular with snorkellers and scuba-divers.

The reef provides a rich habitat based on the underwater forest of marine algae, such as Giant Kelp and Leathery Kelp, that sustains a rich fauna of fish and marine invertebrates, including sponges and soft corals. The Pope's Eye is an important breeding site for Australasian Gannets, which breed on platforms constructed for them as well as on the rocks of the reef. The site is often visited by Australian Fur Seals and Bottlenose Dolphins.

Source: Wikipedia

Southern end of Port Phillip Bay. Four kilometres from the Heads between Portsea and Queenscliff

Pope's Eye is also known as Popes Eye.

Pope's Eye

Queenscliff Pier is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Australia, VIC, Melbourne which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Queenscliff Pier

Queenscilff Bottle Drift is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Australia, VIC, Melbourne which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Queenscilff Bottle Drift

Point King Bottle Drift

One of Melbourne most well known and best shore dive location.  Abundance of fish life including cuttle fish, crays, sea dragons, etc.  Best dived on high tide, with no wind or Northerlies as surface conditions remain calm.  The dive site opens up towards the main "heads" of Port Phillip Bay and is often exposed to ocean swell.  On a good day it is an awesome dive with significant cliff faces, bommies and rock formations down to a depth of about 8-9 metres.  It can get a little busy during summer.

Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria.  From Melbourne, head to Geelong and then onto Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula.  The dive site is not sign posted however it has become known due to the Orphanage on the main road into Queencliff called "Cottage by the Sea".  Parking is good, and only a short 150m stroll over the sand dunes is required to enter the water.

Cottage by the Sea

Be aware this site is best dived on a slack water to an ebb tide as it will have a strong current pushing you down the beach if dived on the flood tide.
Once on the beach enter the water between 2 rock formations directly in front of you. You will need to snorkel out about 100 m to get to the main part of the reef and then proceed to the right. You will find a wide variety of fish life the occasional cray and various swim throughs and ledges.

Enter this site from the Queenscliff road next to the Cottage by the sea Respite holiday mansion about 2kms before Queenscliff. As you drive towards Queenscliff it is on the right hand side. There is a grassy area to park then walk down to the beach via the steps directly to your front.

Cottage by the sea

Boarfish Reef Bottle Drift

46m long iron barque built in 1874. The bow is great.

South of Queenscliff.

Eliza Ramsden

Set of caves, drop offs and overhangs.

Out from Shortlands Bluff, off of Queenscliff.

Boarfish Reef

Nepean Bay is part of the Harold Holt Marine Reserve: it is a look and don't touch zone!

Nepean bay is closest to the end of Point Nepean tip.

IMPORTANT: Shore entry is prohibited due to Military installations. Point Nepean is a restricted area: don't land on the beach !

HMAS J3 Submarine

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at HMAS J3 Submarine