Bare Island is small island about 60m off the mainland, connected by a bridge. The site of a colonial era fort, the island was home to a significant portion of one of the Mission Impossible movies.

The eastern side drops quickly to 10m as you follow the island wall around. This is a good area for weedy sea dragons and a whole host of nudibranchs on the various rock formations. This is the area where there’s lots of pygmy pipehorse. This area also makes a great night dive.

The local Aboriginal tribes of Gweagal and Kameygal are almost certain to have given the small island a name, but it has not survived through to present time and is not even known now to the locals.

Joined to the mainland by a small timber bridge, Bare Island is perfect for either day or night diving in almost all weather. In even moderate seas you can safely dive in almost any spot and in very heavy seas you can usually dive the protected (right) side of the island. Only in huge seas (say over five metres average) can you not get a dive at Bare Island. There are many different dives can be done around the island itself, as well as along the shore on either side of the bridge.