Kingston Reefs - Rottnest Island snorkelling

Kingston Reefs - also called West Kingston Reef or the Transit Caves - lie off the north-east side of Thomson Bay inside the Kingston Sanctuary Zone, where all fishing and collecting is banned. The zone protects four wrecks from the late 1800s: the Gem (1876), Macedon (1883), Janet (1887) and Denton Holme (1890), each with its own Spot page.

Between the wrecks, broken limestone pavement holds sea urchins and other invertebrates, and further north a line of tall reef lumps is cut into caves crammed with fish. Look for juvenile western blue groper (greyish-brown rather than the adults' blue), King George whiting, leatherjackets and wrasses, with plate and soft corals and colourful sponges on the rock. Warm water carried south by the Leeuwin Current helps tropical species survive this far south.

The reef lies well offshore and is reached by boat, with a courtesy mooring nearby. Wreckage and reef come close to the surface in places, and the area is prone to surge.

• Experience level: Advanced
• Depth: 3-7 m
• Access: Boat needed: the Kingston Reef sanctuary zone and its four wrecks lie 1-1.5 km off the north-east side of Thomson Bay; the owner's guide says "By boat". Courtesy mooring (red buoy) on Kingston Reef, daytime only with a two-hour limit; the semi-submersible tour from Thomson Bay visits the Macedon and Denton Holme. Sanctuary zone: all fishing and taking of marine life is prohibited. Reef and wreckage come close to the surface, and swell over about 1.5 m surges across the reef.
• Four Historic Shipwrecks
• Kingston Sanctuary Zone
• Reef Caves
• Western Blue Groper
• Plate & Soft Corals

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