Barwon Bluff North (aka Point Flinders and Barwon Heads Bluff) is a diving and snorkelling site with many interesting options on the northern side of the pincer shaped reef that juts out into the sea. Barwon Bluff is located at the end of the Barwon River on the southern side separating the river from Bass Strait on Victoria's Surf Coast.

This area is well known for its diverse intertidal invertebrate communities including limpets, whelks, barnacles, mussels, tube worms, and sea squirts. There are also diverse fish communities within kelp forests and subtidal reefs including Western Blue Groper, Horseshoe and Six-spined Leatherjackets, Magpie Perch, Boarfish, Herring Kale, Zebra Fish, Port Jackson Shark, Smooth Stingray. On the shore, there are rock pools containing Sea Nymph Seagrass and green, brown and red algae. Subtidal Kelp Forests containing Crayweed, Bull Kelp, Giant Kelp and many other species are a highlight of the area.

This is a wonderful dive that is better done with little to no swell, but for the experienced the swell just adds to the challenge and beauty of the dive.

Between the reef pincers at the end of Point Flinders there is a small bay with a floor of sand and rock. Small colourful sea slugs can be found along the reef sides. Stands of Giant Kelp sway with the waves, tempting snorkellers to swim through and experience an underwater forest. Giant rays regularly sweep along the sand. Offshore, small bommies are fringed with Bull Kelp hiding colourful sponges below.

A swim in the kelp forest can be rivalled with the best kelp gardens in the world, albeit not as deep. Generally a very good and shallow dive.

It's a nice dive in about 10 metres, though the shipwreck is pretty broken up. The boilers stick up out of the water at low tide.

Dive Type: Reef Dive

Imported from The Scuba Doctor