Wellbeing Group - The Rottnest Deepwater Scuttle Ground

Andrew Oakeley is our guest speaker for this meeting. He is the son of our very own long standing member, Chris Oakeley.

In Andrew's own words, here is a brief description of the talk, their achievements and of Andrew.

Title:

The Rottnest Deepwater Scuttle Ground: How deep scuba dives and modern technology is identifying unknown shipwrecks and bringing them to the community.

Abstract:

What does it take to dive deeper than 100m, and how a team of Perth divers is visiting shipwrecks on the edges of continental shelf and creating 3D models from the data they bring back.

Between 1910 and 1994 Commonwealth Dumping Area 7, off the back of Rottnest island in water depths of up to 200m, became the final resting place of surplus equipment such as ships, planes, submarines and ammunition. The Perth dive team WreckSploration have been discovering the final resting places of vessels in this area and creating stunning 3D models to identify the wrecks and for the public to enjoy. Come along and hear Andrew Oakeley walk you through the mechanics of a dive deeper than 100m and showcase the team’s discoveries.

About the presenter:

Andrew is an IT Consultant with over 10 years’ experience in technical diving.

Andrew has amassed extensive experience in deep diving, rebreather systems, underwater exploration, and maritime heritage advocacy in the community.

Andrew co-founded WreckSploration in 2022 and currently serves as its President.

Andrew was awarded OzTek Technical Diver of the Year 2025

WreckSploration was the recipient of the 2024 WA Heritage Award for Outstanding Contribution to State Heritage Preservation by an Organisation, and in 2025 received international acclaim for their discovery of the Dutch submarine HNLMS K XI south of Rottnest

This should be a fascinating look into our past history, occuring right here on our very own doorstep at Rotnest, under very difficult conditons. So come along and be informed and enjoy the companionship of your fellow Sheddies and friends