Little Armstrong Bay, Rottnest Island: Snorkelling near Perth, WA

Little Armstrong Bay is one of the best snorkelling spots on Rottnest Island near Perth, Western Australia. The best way to get there is by bike.

What is Little Armstrong Bay, Rottnest Island?

Little Armstrong Bay is a gorgeous bay on the north coast of Rottnest Island, Western Australia. The bay is one of Rottnest Island’s best snorkelling sites, with the water usually clear and calm, and plenty of marine life to observe.

There are rocky outcrops on either side of the beach, making it feel more hidden than it really is, and the white sand looks out towards the Indian Ocean.

8 Rottnest Island experiences best booked in advance

Ferry plus bike hire package. Or add a snorkel kit, too.
Short Settlement Segway tour or longer Fortress tour.
Island tour including train ride and lunch.
Sunset catamaran sailing cruise with champagne.
Oliver Hill train and tunnel tour.
Lakes and bays guided hike.
Tandem skydive.
Three hour boat tour to the best snorkelling spots.

Snorkelling at Little Armstrong Bay

Snorkelling at Little Armstrong Bay brings sightings of several species, including garfish, flat head and a few tropical species that seem to be ignoring where the Tropic of Capricorn lies. The small reefs here also have abundant coral.

Getting to Little Armstrong Bay

The best way of getting to Little Armstrong Bay is by bike. Bikes can be hired on the island, but the low faff way is to package it up with your ferry ticket and take the bike straight from the boat.

It’s a 4.1km bike ride from the Rottnest Island jetty to Little Armstrong Bay, which should take most people about 15 minutes.

Obviously, that will be a little longer if you decide to hug the coast or stop to see quokkas along the way. Little Armstrong Bay is just around the headland from Little Parakeet Bay and Parakeet Bay.

If you don’t have your own snorkelling gear, you can throw snorkel rental into the ferry and bike package.

Rottnest Island is the best day trip from Perth and it is car-free (although you can get around by Segway). The Rottnest weather is best between October and April. You can take a ferry from Fremantle, Perth or Hillarys. Other things to do on Rottnest Island include snorkelling tours, skydives and taking selfies with quokkas. It’s also possible to go camping on Rottnest Island.

Which Rottnest Island ferry?

When deciding which Rottnest Island ferry to book, remember that there are three departure points. The Sealink ferries depart earlier, the Rottnest Express ferries are the cheapest and the Rottnest Fast Ferries go from Perth’s northern suburbs where there’s free parking. For more information and booking, use the links below.