

Gemini WH-301
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GPS: S 31° 37.142'
E 115° 33.626'
Location: Mindarie
Site depth: 30 metres
Divable conditions: Light wind, <1.5m swell
Visibilty: 5-30 metres
Vessel: Hopper Barge
Construction: Steel
Tons: 860 tons
Vessel length: 36.5 metres
Wreck event: Purpose sunk 1993

The hopper barge WH-301, or better know as the "Gemini". Built in 1962, the Gemini was originally put to work in New South Wales, joined to her sister ship the WH-302 to form a drilling dredge pontoon. After being separated from WH-302, the Gemini found its way to Western Australia where it was eventually sold to a local charter operator, Mr John Clark. With the assistance of the Royal Australian Navy, Tamar Marine and other local businesses the Gemini was deliberately sunk on the 9th September 1993. Scuttled 6 nautical miles offshore and 8.4 nautical miles north west of Mindarie marina at a depth of 30 metres. The Gemini was sunk with the purpose of being used as a diving and training site for local Advanced Open Water SCUBA divers.


The Gemini is accessible by boat in light winds and makes for a comfortable dive in a 1.5 metre swell or less. Although sunk as a wreck for divers, the Gemini is a popular site for fisherman targeting the Samson Fish that school on the wreck and it can be expected to share the site with other boats. The wreck lays upside down on a sandy sea floor at 30 metres on an almost east to west axis with the bow facing out to sea. Due to barge settling up side down, soon after the scuttling commercial divers removed sections on top of the wreck to allow penetration of the hull. The only local dive operator that runs charters to the Gemini wreck is Western Blue Dive Charters from Mindarie marina.

