Popes Eye - Victoria
Shoulder certainly lives up to its billing; it’s a proper rush. We're talking a serious drift, the kind where you really feel the current pulling you along, sometimes so fast it feels like flying. Your heart will definitely be pounding, but that's part of the fun. Maxing out at 19m, it’s not particularly deep, but you need to be comfortable in strong water. The visibility here is usually good, around 17m, which is a blessing when you're moving that quickly. Keep your eyes peeled for the big stuff – we’ve seen some massive green turtles here just cruising past, looking entirely unbothered by the current that’s pushing us along. Schools of beautiful fusiliers are everywhere, and the Honeycomb Groupers often hang out in the deeper sections, just out of the main flow. If you’re lucky, you might spot a guitar shark on the sandy bottom, or a ray gliding by. This is definitely one for experienced divers who love a bit of speed and aren't afraid of a good workout.
- Location
- Victoria, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -38.277000, 144.699000
- Type
- drift
- Maximum Depth
- 5-14m
Marine Protected Area: Port Phillip Heads
Nearby Dive Sites in Victoria
- Anderson Reef (reef)
- Annabella Reef (reef)
- Antares Rock
- Bella Vista Reef (reef)
- Big Reef (reef)
- Bird Rock
- Black Reef (reef)
- Blairgowrie Pier (wall)
- Boarfish Reef (reef)
- Captain Nitros' Drop-off (reef)
- Castle Rock (reef)
- Cat Reef (reef)
- Cottage By The Sea (wall)
- Crawfish Rock
- Delta Reef (reef)
Marine Life in Victoria
Home to 139 recorded species including 64 reef fish, 26 sharks & rays, 17 whales & dolphins, 7 seagrass & algae, 7 other, 3 starfish.
Notable Species
- Snapper (Pagrus auratus) - Reef Fish
- Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) - Seagrass & Algae
- sea rimu (Caulerpa brownii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Sea Nymph (Amphibolis antarctica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Rig (Galeorhinus galeus) - Sharks & Rays
- Kelpie (Notolabrus tetricus) - Reef Fish
- Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Rock Perch (Parma victoriae) - Reef Fish
- Sea potato (Echinocardium cordatum) - Sea Urchins
- Patrician wrasse (Pictilabrus laticlavius) - Reef Fish
- Crested Weedfish (Cristiceps australis) - Reef Fish
- Dixons Stingaree (Urolophus paucimaculatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Ground Mullet (Neoodax balteatus) - Reef Fish
- Inanga (Galaxias maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Horse-shoe Leatherjacket (Meuschenia hippocrepis) - Reef Fish
- thorny worm (Glycera americana) - Worms
- Kelpie (Notolabrus fucicola) - Reef Fish
- Freycinet's Leatherjacket (Meuschenia freycineti) - Reef Fish
- Eastern Shovelnose Stingaree (Trygonoptera imitata) - Sharks & Rays
- Tasmanian Blenny (Parablennius tasmanianus) - Reef Fish