Cottage By The Sea Reef, at the end of Swanston Street in Queenscliff, is a celebrated shore-entry snorkel spot on the Bellarine Peninsula. Facing south-west into Lonsdale Bay, it features a shallow rocky platform at low tide that leads to a series of parallel sandstone reefs, underwater cliff faces, bommies, and swim-through ledges at 6–8 m depth. Renowned for its abundance of fish life, this site sits near the entrance to Port Phillip Heads, offering clear conditions after northerly winds — making it one of Victoria's most popular snorkel and dive destinations.
Cottage By The Sea Reef (Lonsdale Bay)
IntermediateSKIP
SKIP
Poor conditions. Stay out today.
Showing last known conditions
Wave Height 0.1 mSwell Period 12 sWind Speed 16 knPrecipitation 31 mmTidal Phase flood
Last evaluated
The spot
Community-maintained
Community contribution: submitted by Daniel
Know before you go
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Moderate risk: Tidal current at The Heads
Strong tidal flow near the entrance to Port Phillip. Must be dived in slack water on the ebb tide; currents can be dangerous otherwise.
Moderate risk: Boat and PWC traffic
Heavy vessel and personal watercraft traffic in the area. A dive float and flag are essential.
Low risk: Ocean swell exposure
The site opens towards the main heads and is often exposed to ocean swell, especially in southerly conditions.
Low risk: Rocky shore entry
Entry is over a rocky platform visible at low tide — slippery and uneven underfoot.
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Getting in
Shore entry
Entry
From the Bellarine Highway (B110), turn left onto Swanston Street heading south. At the southern end where Swanston Street turns into The Esplanade, find a small reserve with beach marker 9B and a track down to the beach. The car park is at the end of the road near the Cottage-by-the-Sea Children's holiday camp.
Parking & facilities
Small reserve car park at the corner of Swanston Street and The Esplanade, Queenscliff (Melway Ref: Page 499 C12).
parking
Free
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About this data
- Conditions last evaluated
- Spot data last updated
- Data sources
- Open-Meteo (marine & weather conditions), tide predictions via UTide, community contributors (descriptions, hazards, marine life).
- License
- Spot content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. How's the Spot is open source.
Weather & swell ┬╖ Open-Meteo marine & weather APIs Tides ┬╖ UTide harmonic analysis Sea & safety ┬╖ community reports