DIVE, WILDLIFE, FISH.
Hippolyte Rock is an impressive granite island, standing 65m tall and towering over the blue horizon of the Tasman Sea.
Emerging from the sea bed 100m below and located 10km south of Pirates Bay, this looming rock is best viewed from Pirates Bay lookout, Fossil Bay Lookout and Waterfall Bay Lookout.
This area is a recreational fishing paradise thanks to the Hippolyte and surrounding reef being a favourite feeding ground for prized Bluefin Tuna and many other game fish.
The rocks are home to a small seal colony and massive array of invertebrate life. Little penguins, short-tailed shearwaters, sooty shearwaters, fairy prions , common diving petrels , silver petrels, silver gulls and rare black-faced cormorants are all recorded breeding species on Hippolyte Rock.
Along with nearby Chevron Rock, the Hippoloyte forms part of the Tasman Island group. This chain of islands is surrounded by dangerous, rocky reefs and notoriously risky for inexperienced sailors having claimed multiple marine vessels. In 1915 the Steamship “Nord” journeyed between the two main islands and collided with Needle Rock (at the time uncharted). Unbeknown to the Captain, the S.S. Tasman had already met a similar fate in 1883.
Today, the “Nord” is one of the few ‘intact’ shipwrecks in Tasmania (it’s rudder still moves!) and a huge attraction for experienced divers and local Dive Tour Operators,
The Hippolyte is considered one of Tasmania’s finest dive spots.
Dive Tours:
Fishing Charters:
- http://www.doongarafishingcharters.com.au/game_fishing/index.html
- http://www.moonshinecharters.com.au/game.htm
- http://www.force-10-fishing-charters.com.au
- Pauletta Charters – 0362489432
- Personalised Sea Charters – 0362503370
- Pirates Bay Fishing & Charters – 0362503546 [email protected]
- Terry Horton – 0362503301