The Monument

General description
The first dive site you encounter along the northern side of Kurnell national park, Monument is the site of Captain Cook’s first antipodeans landing. A relatively easy-going site with an effortless entry and excellent amenities.

Getting there
The Monument is located in the Kurnell Botany Bay National Park; the entry to the park is located off Captain Cook Drive. It cost $7.00 for park entry fees. Once inside the park follow the main road, you will go over three speed humps then take the first turn on the left. It’s a dirt road, which leads down to a big grassy picnic area; turn to the right and park somewhere near the grassy area, which leads to the water. This is also where you park for Sutherland Point dive site.

Entry and exit
The entry and exit point for this dive are both in the same spot (unless you do it as a drift dive). It's a little channel between the rocks right in front of the flagpole. See photos for more information on location. It is one of the easiest entries in that you can sit on the rocks to put your fins on and in all but the most severe conditions, as there are no waves.

Entry Point

The Dives
The Monument is a very easy dive site, with the relatively longer surface swim being the hardest part. Due to its location right in the bay, viz can be a little worse here than the other sites around Kurnell. But it is still a very nice relaxing dive with usually lots to see. Once you enter the water you snorkel out over kelp in a north easterly direction. There is a red navigation marker out in the bay and if you head towards it you are going in the right direction. Once you become sick of snorkelling you can descend as sometimes large rays are seen swimming over the kelp. You will be in about 4m of water, keep following your compass till you come to a drop off. Drop over the wall for the main part of the dive. If viz is poor the top of the wall also makes an interesting dive. Swim along with the wall on your right.

Monument's a great dive to take a torch, as they're overhangs hiding blue devil fish, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, Giant cuttlefish and even the occasional banded coral shrimp.

This is a good dive to do as a drift dive if you have an outgoing tide, you can drift from the monument around to Sutherland point or the Steps.

When exiting at the Monument make sure you swim up into the channel as there are many sea urchins on the rocks everywhere else.

Click for print quality map

Things you can see.
Weedy seadragons, boar fish various rays, old wives various wrasse, sea horses, wobbiegongs, blue grouper, various nudibranchs, giant cuttlefish, Port Jacksons, various sponges, moray eels.

Things to be careful of.

• Silty bottom, make sure you practise good buoyancy skills or viz can drop very quickly
• When exiting make sure you exit via the channel where you get in as there are many sea urchins on the rocks everywhere else.
• Currents can sometimes be strong in this area, so make sure you have checked the tides and know which way the current will be going.