Bird Rock, Jan Juc

Reef Dive | Shore access

Snorkelling at Bird Rock, Jan Juc

Depth: 8 m (26 ft) to 8 m (26 ft)

Level: Open Water and beyond.

Bird Rock is at the western end of Jan Juc Beach, just 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on Ocean Boulevarde, between Bells Beach and Torquay. Bird Rock lies on Victoria's Surf Coast, facing south-east into Bass Strait.

Bird Rock is backed by 20 high bluffs. The coast here is dominated by steep, 20 to 40 metre high, limestone bluffs, which wind their way to Bells Beach. At the base of the bluffs are small beaches, each surrounded by rocks and reefs. Bird Rock marks the western end of the 1.2 km long Jan Juc Beach, with Rocky Point at the eastern end of the beach.

When weather conditions permit, diving and snorkelling at Bird Rock is about exploring the underwater reef terrain and marine life. On a perfect day, with no wind, no swell, and no current, it's really worthwhile.

You may want to just explore the rock pools around Bird Rock. However, for those wanting more, head south from the shore and you'll come across a shallow limestone reef with ledges and large holes. Then you come to Bird Rock itself, and a network of gullied platforms. Follow the gutters further out to the offshore limestone reefs with shelves, overhangs and holes supporting a wide-array of marine life.

See also, ... Bird Rock, Jan Juc in "Shore Dives of Victoria" by Ian Lewis, 3rd edition page 41.

Bird Rock, Jan Juc Parking
© Google Street View

Location: Ocean Boulevarde, Jan Juc, Victoria 3228
MELWAY Ref: Page 505 G11
Beach Marker: 79W

Parking: From Torquay to the east, head south on Surf Coast Highway (B100) toward Darian Road/Grossmans Road, At the roundabout, take the 2nd roundabout exit onto Great Ocean Road (B100) and continue to the intersection with Duffields Road. Turn left onto Duffields Road and follow it south. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Ocean Boulevarde. Turn left at Princes Terrace into the car park. Before gearing up check out the water. If you see lots of white water, head on home.

Warning: Weather conditions at Bird Rock vary considerably with very strong winds and squalls frequently occurring. When conditions aren't right, this can be a highly hazardous area with deep water, rocks and reefs, plus persistent rips. Always go with a buddy and be extremely careful. Experienced divers and snorkellers only.

Entry/Exit: While checking out the area before gearing up, you can see the entire site so pick out a suitable entry/exit point to the south-west of the headland. Take the track from the car park and the steps down onto the beach. Then enter from the place you've chosen on the rock platform.

Ideal Conditions: Bird Rock is a very exposed shore dive site, so it should only be dived when the seas are flat and calm with very little swell. Conditions are usually best with no wind, or after a few days of northerlies, as surface conditions remain calm.

Best at high tide. See WillyWeather (Jan Juc Beach) as a guide for the tide times and the height of the tide.

Bass Strait Warning: Always keep an eye on sea conditions throughout any shore or boat dive in Bass Strait on Victoria's coastline. Please read the warnings on the web page diving-in-bass-strait before diving or snorkelling this site.

Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) country

Traditional Owners — This dive site is in the traditional Country of the Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) people of the Kulin Nation. This truly ancient Country includes the coastline of Port Phillip, from the Werribee River in the north-east, the Bellarine Peninsula, and down to Cape Otway in the south-west. We wish to acknowledge the Wathaurong as Traditional Owners. We pay respect to their Ancestors and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Bunjil the Creator Spirit of this beautiful land, who travels as an eagle, and Waarn, who protects the waterways and travels as a crow, and thank them for continuing to watch over this Country today and beyond.

 

Bird Rock, Jan Juc Location Map

Latitude: 38° 20.922′ S   (38.348697° S / 38° 20′ 55.31″ S)
Longitude: 144° 18.206′ E   (144.303431° E / 144° 18′ 12.35″ E)
Datum: WGS84 | Google Map | Get directions
Added: 2022-04-09 12:34:32 GMT, Last updated: 2022-05-03 16:31:37 GMT
Source: Google Earth
Nearest Neighbour: The Steps, Jan Juc, 990 m, bearing 214°, SW
Jan Juc, Surf Coast.
Depth: 1 to 8 m.

DISCLAIMER: No claim is made by The Scuba Doctor as to the accuracy of the dive site coordinates listed here. Should anyone decide to use these GPS marks to locate and dive on a site, they do so entirely at their own risk. Always verify against other sources.

The marks come from numerous sources including commercial operators, independent dive clubs, reference works, and active divers. Some are known to be accurate, while others may not be. Some GPS marks may even have come from maps using the AGD66 datum, and thus may need be converted to the WGS84 datum. To distinguish between the possible accuracy of the dive site marks, we've tried to give each mark a source of GPS, Google Earth, or unknown.