Dyer Island, Rottnest, Western Australia

Dyer Island is a small rocky outcrop on the south-east corner of Rottnest Island which is 19km off the WA coast and one of the State's favourite boating destinations. While the island is just a few hundred metres off the shore it is surrounded by reef, which makes it a fantastic dive and snorkelling destination but also difficult to get to without a good marine map, fishfinder/GPS or previous knowledge. Once you make your way through the shallow reef system the rewards are great with a sheltered bay that is ideal for picnics, snorkelling or just enjoy some peace and quiet. It is also one of the favourite snorkelling destinations for BoatAdvice boating and feature writer, Emma George. It is where her two young sons learnt to snorkel. When she visits Dyer Island, Emma said they enter from the north, passing to the south of Wallace Island and then navigate to the western side of Joan Rock and through the main channel between the two sections of reef. She said you can easily see where the waves break over the east and western side of the main channel but you still need to be cautious in your approach. Once you pass through the channel, there is an open section of water around 2.0-3.0m deep in front of the island. You can anchor in front of the island but you need to be careful to only anchor in the sand and check the wind direction. There is shallow reef close by and you don’t want your anchor to drag or have the boat swing and end up on the reef. While Dyer Island is only small, it is not recommended that you go onto the island itself, it is the perfect place for a snorkel and a regular haunt for the local sea lion colony.