Number Sixteen
Shore Dive | 
Shore access
Number Sixteen | © Phil Watson
Depth: 5 m (16 ft)
Level: Advanced Open Water and beyond
Number Sixteen Beach (aka Number 16 Beach) is a back beach of Rye on the Mornington Peninsula. There is a large gorge called 'The Divide' cut into the cliffs to the north-west of Number Sixteen Beach.
To the west of Number Sixteen Beach there is a series of undercut ledges and gullies dropping off a wide platform, and access is straight off the edge.
This area consists of a series of low ledges and gullies off the edge of the sea terrace. There are interesting undercuts full of fish. The platform has many wave-worn crevices, some of which are big enough for a diver to enter and contain blowholes exiting at the surface. They are very dangerous and a freak wave can force you through and against the rocks in a potentially fatal way. Those snorkellers and divers wanting to explore further can head around to 'The Divide'.
A rock formation known as 'The Dragon's Head' lies onshore and is popular with photographers. The shipwreck of the Craigburn lies just offshore.
Number Sixteen Parking
© Google Street View
Location: Rye, Victoria 3941
MELWAY Ref: Page 167 J10
Parking: From Canterbury Jetty Road, Rye continue on to Tasman Drive and follow this coastal extension. Where Marcia Avenue intersects with Tasman Drive, turn right into the Number Sixteen Access Road. There is a car park at the end. From the car park you take the track east where you'll eventually come to steps that descend to the Number Sixteen Beach.
Entry/Exit: From Number Sixteen Beach.
The whole area is very exposed to southerly swells and very calm conditions are required for safe diving. See WillyWeather (No. 16 Beach) as a guide for the tide times and the height of the tide.
See also, "Number Sixteen" in "Shore Dives of Victoria" by Ian Lewis, 3rd edition pages 120–121.
Back Beach Warning: Always keep an eye on sea conditions throughout any dive on the Back Beaches of the Mornington Peninsula. Please read the warnings on the web page diving-the-back-beaches before diving or snorkelling this site.
Boon Wurrung / Bunurong country
Traditional Owners — This dive site is in the traditional Country of the Boon Wurrung / Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation. This truly ancient Country includes parts of Port Phillip, from the Werribee River in the north-west, down to Wilson's Promontory in the south-east, including the Mornington Peninsula, French Island and Phillip Island, plus Western Port. We wish to acknowledge the Boon Wurrung 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.
Number Sixteen Location Map
Latitude: 38° 23.567′ S (38.392783° S / 38° 23′ 34.02″ S)
Longitude: 144° 47.369′ E (144.789483° E / 144° 47′ 22.14″ E)
Datum: WGS84 |
Google Map
| Get directions
Added: 2012-07-22 09:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-03-27 16:29:21 GMT
Source: Google Earth
Nearest Neighbour: Craigburn, 373 m, bearing 238°, WSW
Rye, Back Beaches, Mornington Peninsula.
Depth: 5 m.
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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.
