Jawbone Marine Sanctuary:

The formulation of Port Phillip bay began around 8000BC towards the end of the last Ice age. The little promontory, west of the beach at Williamstown, has been fenced off from the rest of the world for over 80 years by a coastal rifle range. This forgotten and unspoiled place is now considered a haven for coastal and marine life right next to Melbourne.

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Diving Conditions :

The dive site is shallow and mostly  < 4 meters deep. It is not subject to large waves, strong currents or swell but in strong westerly conditions waves can reach heights of 2 meters.

The sanctuary has an unequal semidiurnal daily tidal pattern. Spring tides are 0.8 metres and neap tides 0.2 metres, with the water in the sanctuary exchanged every 28 – 50 tidal cycles. 

 

Marine Habitat:

More than seventeen species of fish have been observed on the subtidal reefs with the southern hulafish the most abundant. Present in very low abundance are zebrafish, dusky morwong, flathead, leatherjacket and little rock whiting.

 

Access:

Access to this dive site is on designated walking tracks via Jawbone Reserve and Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve in Melbourne.

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