Perth Wreck dive – The D9 Dredge, Cockburn sound Perth
The D9 Dredge is a close and easy Perth wreck dive to tick off your bucket list all year round
At 12 meters deep all divers can tick the D9 dredge off their Bucket List, with an instructor ready to help for those without wreck diving experience. The D9 wreck was a dredge before her sinking in 1962, reportedly used to dredge the sound for shipping. She is now enjoying her retirement sitting upright in the waters of the Cockburn sound where divers and fishermen alike frequently visit.
You’ll need a boat to get there, located nearly 3kms off shore, It’s about an hour’s boat ride departing from Fremantle. There are several beautiful reefs along the way there where you can stop to take in a beautiful array of coral, sponges and marine life.
Locals know the sheltered nature of the waters in The Sound can cast a greenish tinge to the visibility, sometimes creating an eerie feel to the dive. Diving upright wrecks presents the enjoyable opportunity to descend cruising down to the hull. Diving always feels like flying, but never more so than when cruising down the side of a vessel. The massive visual reference reminds the diver how small they are and helps to guide the descent.
When you reach the bottom where the hull is resting in the sand you are sometimes lucky enough to spot a Wobbegong shark sleeping in the shelter. There are some loose steel structures and nooks to investigate with your torch (definitely pack a torch!).Working your way up the steel body, you’ll find the D9 prepared for divers. With passageways passing straight through the vessel, a day dive here offers light at the end of each tunnel.
Throughout the dive expect to be greeted by scorpionfish, bullseyes, angelfish, cuttlefish and nudibranch. For a tour, Check out this video tour by Salty Dragon
Check out this guide to the site by the local shipwreck experts Diving WA Wrecks.