Little Parakeet Bay - Rottnest Island snorkelling

A small sandy bay hidden behind a rocky point and dunes on the north coast, ringed by craggy cliffs and limestone reef. A reef just off the beach keeps the water inside shallow and calm, which suits young families and smaller children, and little blue Miller's damselfish, sea stars and the odd stingray are easy to find.

Little Parakeet Bay is the smaller, quieter neighbour of Parakeet Bay. Facing north, it is sheltered from south-easterly winds and makes a good morning swim, though strong westerlies can stir it up.

From the western end of the beach, swim out to a small bommie. Beside it a narrow chasm, barely a metre wide, cuts through the reef platform, its walls thick with kelp that hides orange and blue nudibranchs and bright red starfish. The channel leads to an underwater arch, where sea squirts, encrusting sponges and corals grow and fish dart through the shafts of light. Beyond it, scan the seagrass for stingrays, tube worms with feathery tentacles in the bare patches, and small Port Jackson sharks resting on the reef ledges. Take care not to knock the reef in the narrow spots.

• Experience level: Easy
• Depth: 1-4 m
• Access: Island Explorer Stop 18 (Little Parakeet Bay), then a walk of about 300 m from the car park. Enter at the western end of the beach (owner's guide). No facilities at the bay; Geordie Bay's facilities are about 10 minutes' walk away (RIA). Well protected except in strong westerly winds (owner's guide).
• Protected by Reef
• Underwater Arch
• Kelp Channel
• Family Friendly
• Secluded
• Port Jackson Sharks

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