Extreme Watersport Dive Atlas · VIC-007
ex-HMAS Canberra Diving
A former Royal Australian Navy frigate, deliberately scuttled in October 2009 to create an artificial reef and dive site. Offshore from Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, ex-HMAS Canberra is now a boat-access destination within its own recreation reserve.
Current status
A recreation reserve for diving and snorkelling
Access is managed under the reserve framework. Confirm mooring, permit and booking arrangements with Parks Victoria before planning a dive. This page does not provide current operator booking availability.
Quick dive brief
The place, at a glance
- Site type
- Boat / wreck / artificial reef
- Locality
- Off Barwon Heads / Ocean Grove · Bass Strait
- Published depth context
- Parks Victoria: about 30 m of water
Locality map
General named site locality
Approximate ex-HMAS Canberra wreck locality
The marker represents the wreck’s approximate locality using a point derived from its October 2009 survey.
- Approximate ex-HMAS Canberra wreck locality
- Interactive basemap context
Port of Melbourne · archived October 2009 survey opens in a new tab
Locality context only — not a boat drop, mooring or navigation aid. · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Locality
Off the Bellarine coast
Parks Victoria places the wreck offshore from Ocean Grove in Bass Strait and describes the scuttling location as off Barwon Heads. The map represents the approximate wreck locality within this coastal setting.
Sources: Parks Victoria
Boat access
Access by boat
The wreck is reached by boat. The reserve operates within a managed mooring and permit framework, with vessel visits subject to the applicable reserve rules. Departure arrangements depend on the vessel or dive provider.
Sources: Parks Victoria · Victorian Government · Parks Victoria
Site character
A former frigate, deliberately placed as a reef
The object being dived is a large naval frigate prepared for a new role underwater. Its steel hull and aluminium superstructure form a substantial artificial structure in the recreation reserve. Parts of the original ship were removed before scuttling. The wreck continues to change over time.
Sources: Parks Victoria · Royal Australian Navy
Depth
About 30 metres of water
Parks Victoria describes the wreck in about 30 metres of water. Different parts of the structure sit at different depths. This broad description does not establish a deck, mast or seabed profile; no combined top-to-bottom range is assigned.
Sources: Parks Victoria
Conditions
An offshore setting and a changing structure
ex-HMAS Canberra
Current Weather
Connecting to weather provider…
- Wind
- — · — Gust unavailable
- Rain
- —Precipitation
Powered by WeatherAPI.com opens in a new tab
Timestamped atmospheric weather near this site. Offshore water movement, swell, visibility and dive conditions can differ and are not measured here.
Parks Victoria advises attention to changing weather and to wreck hazards, particularly after storms. Loose material near or within the wreck, sharp edges and sand movement can affect openings and access hatches. These observations are context for planning, without classifying an opening or providing a route through the structure.
Sources: Parks Victoria
Community observations
Recent Diver Reports
Visibility, water temperature and small details from recent dives.
Loading recent diver reports…
Reviewed observations from individual dives—not live sensor data or dive-suitability assessments.
Protection
The recreation reserve framework
The ex-HMAS Canberra Dive Site Regulations provide for reserve access, vessel controls and permits. They also protect the wreck from removal, damage or interference, subject to authorised exceptions. The site’s protection comes from this managed reserve context.
Sources: Victorian Government
History
From naval service to a recreational dive site
HMAS Canberra (II) was an Adelaide-class guided missile frigate. Commissioned on 21 March 1981, it served in the Royal Australian Navy until decommissioning on 12 November 2005. It was deliberately scuttled on 4 October 2009 off Ocean Grove to create an artificial reef and diving site. This later purpose explains the vessel’s presence in the reserve today.
Sources: Royal Australian Navy
Planning
Training and planning context
Parks Victoria requires appropriate training, certification and experience in Victorian conditions, with Australian Standard AS4005.1 stated as the minimum certification level. Its current guidance and marine notices are the authority references for planning. This guide makes no penetration recommendation.
Sources: Parks Victoria · Parks Victoria
FAQ
Questions about this site
What is ex-HMAS Canberra?
It is the former Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Canberra (II), deliberately scuttled in October 2009 as an artificial reef and recreational dive site.
Is ex-HMAS Canberra a boat dive?
Yes. The wreck is offshore from Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, within Bass Strait.
How deep is ex-HMAS Canberra?
Parks Victoria describes it in about 30 metres of water. That figure is broad water-depth context; this guide does not publish a reconciled deck, mast or seabed profile.
Is access managed?
Yes. The site is within the ex-HMAS Canberra Recreation Reserve, with managed vessel access and a permit framework.
Change log
Official-source review · 8 September 2026
Parks Victoria’s reserve guidance, the Royal Australian Navy history and the published reserve regulations were reviewed for site identity, managed access, depth wording and structural hazards.
Evidence & boundaries
Sources & page limits
Official sources support this guide’s identity, history and broad water-depth context. Current detailed mooring inventory and booking workflow remain unconfirmed. This version provides no penetration guide, exact wreck geometry or reconciled deck, mast and seabed profile. Images supplied for this guide show wreck details and divers, including one AI-enhanced photograph. No recent structural survey is included.