There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a plump scallop off the sandy floor of Port Phillip Bay, surfacing with a full bag, and sitting on the back of the boat shucking them while still in your wetsuit. Scallop diving is one of the most accessible forms of dive fishing in Victoria — no complex gear, no crevice hunting, no night dives required. You descend, you drift, you pick.
But like most things that sound simple, getting it right takes preparation. The sites are boat-only. The scallop beds are patchy and shift with the seasons. And the tidal drift that makes these dives efficient is exactly what catches out unprepared divers at pier sites. This guide covers everything you need to plan a successful scallop dive in Port Phillip Bay.
The Commercial Scallop (Pecten fumatus)
The species you're after in Port Phillip Bay is the Commercial Scallop (Pecten fumatus), also called the Southern Australian Scallop. It has thin, broadly circular shells up to 145 mm across with approximately 15 radiating ribs and mottled brownish patterning. The flat upper valve faces up from the sand; the curved lower valve sits beneath. When undisturbed, scallops lie open on the seafloor, drawing in water to feed — this makes them easy to spot underwater once you know what you're looking for.
The most prized part of a fresh-caught scallop is the plump white adductor muscle and, particularly in the cooler months, the bright orange roe (coral). Both are edible and both are delicious. The darker digestive gland around the edge should be trimmed away, but discard nothing else.
Fishing Authority Requirements
Victorian fisheries regulations are enforced in the water just as they are on shore. Check current rules on the VFA website (vfa.vic.gov.au) before every dive, as limits and area restrictions can change.
Recreational Fishing Licence
A valid Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence is required for all divers aged 18 to 70 intending to collect scallops. Licences are available from Service Victoria online, most fishing and dive shops, and many convenience stores. One-year licences cost $39.70 online or $42.20 in-store; a 3-day licence is $10.00 — enough for a single trip. Under-18s and those aged 70 and over are exempt.
Bag Limit
The recreational bag limit is 100 scallops per person per day. There is no minimum legal size for recreational divers collecting Pecten fumatus in Port Phillip Bay. Each licensed diver on board holds their own individual bag limit — four divers on a boat can legally surface with 400 scallops between them.
Season
There is no closed season for recreational scallop diving in Victoria — collection is permitted year-round. In practice, scallops are in the best eating condition from July through December, when cooler water temperatures produce plumper meat and full roe. Summer scallops are leaner and often without roe, though still perfectly edible. The VFA has specifically promoted September as a prime time to dive for scallops in Port Phillip Bay.
No Reporting Required
Unlike rock lobster, there is no catch reporting requirement for recreational scallop divers. The GoFishVicRL app and mandatory reporting apply only to the Rock Lobster program. Simply hold a valid licence and stay within your bag limit.
No-Take Zones — Marine National Parks
All collection is prohibited within Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries. In Port Phillip Bay, this includes the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park — which encompasses six sites including Pope's Eye, Portsea Hole, Point Nepean, and Point Lonsdale. Point Cooke, Jawbone, and Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuaries are also no-take. The Vic Fishing app (free, iOS and Android) shows marine park boundaries via GPS and is worth having on the boat.
Intertidal Zone Rule
In Port Phillip Bay specifically, scallops cannot be collected in waters less than 2 metres deep. All the productive scallop beds are well beyond this — this rule mainly prevents intertidal collection from shore.
Where to Dive — The Southern Bay Scallop Beds
Almost all productive scallop diving in Port Phillip Bay requires a boat. The scallop beds sit on flat sandy bottom in the southern section of the bay between the Mornington Peninsula and the Bellarine Peninsula, at depths of 10–17 metres. This is comfortably within the range of any Open Water certified diver, but the distance from shore makes boat access essential for reaching the right depth.
The most well-documented scallop sites are clustered in the Rye and Blairgowrie area of the Mornington Peninsula, accessible by boat from the Tyrone Boat Ramp at Whitecliffs or from Rye Boat Ramp. Named sites include:
- Rye Scallop Beds — the primary site, flat sandy bottom at 10–17 m, located midway between Blairgowrie Pier and Rye Pier. GPS: approx. 38°20.812′S, 144°47.684′E.
- Geoff's Scallop Hole — 10–17 m, well-known local spot. GPS: approx. 38°21.549′S, 144°47.781′E.
- JL's Scallop Beds — 10–17 m, adjacent area. GPS: approx. 38°21.525′S, 144°48.243′E.
- Rye Scallop Drift — 15 m, a tidal drift-style dive. GPS: approx. 38°20.005′S, 144°51.003′E.
- JL's Scallop Drift — 15 m. GPS: approx. 38°20.238′S, 144°51.091′E.
GPS coordinates for named sites are published by The Scuba Doctor (scubadoctor.com.au) and provide a solid starting point. Scallop beds are patchy — even with coordinates you may need to scout nearby if the bottom looks empty.
Depth varies with season: in winter, scallops are found at 10–14 m as they follow warmer shallower water; in summer they push deeper to 14–17 m seeking cooler temperatures. Plan your dive depth accordingly.
Other reported areas include the Portarlington and Bellarine Peninsula coast (accessible from Queenscliff or Portarlington boat ramps) and the Dromana/Arthur's Seat area, where beds have been found approximately 1 km offshore in around 10 m of water.
The Rye Pier Option — A Reality Check
Rye Pier is listed as a scallop dive site at 1–6 m depth and it is technically possible to reach scallop ground from it — but I can tell you from direct experience that it is not as straightforward as it sounds. The beds are well offshore, which means a long surface swim from the pier end, and the same tidal drift that makes drift dives efficient will push you a considerable distance during the dive, leaving you with a long walk back along the foreshore afterwards. After reaching the pier end, assessing the conditions, and thinking through what the drift would mean in practice, I turned back. The pier dive is great for critters — it is not a practical scallop-collecting setup unless you are specifically prepared for it, with a support person tracking you from shore and a plan for where you will surface.
If you want scallops, organise a boat. The pier is a red herring for this particular goal.
Drift Dive Charters — The Easiest Way to Start
Getting on a charter is the smartest first step for scallop diving. Charter operators know which beds are currently producing, run the dive as a managed drift with a boat following your SMB, and handle the logistics that make self-organised dives complicated. You can focus entirely on the dive.
See our Boat Dives page for charter operators departing from the Mornington Peninsula and Queenscliff.
Scubabo Dive Victoria — Queenscliff
Based at Queenscliff Harbour (37 Learmonth Street), Scubabo explicitly lists Scallop Drift as one of their named dive categories alongside cray dives, wreck dives, and reef drift dives. They operate over 50 dive sites across Port Phillip Bay, departing from Queenscliff and Portsea Pier. Scallop drift dives are available as part of their regular boat dive schedule — contact them for current dates. Phone: (03) 5258 1188 / 0447 008 809. Website: dive.scubabo.com.
The Scuba Doctor — Rye
Based in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula, The Scuba Doctor maintains the most detailed publicly available GPS database of Port Phillip Bay scallop sites and runs boat charters from Portsea Pier. Phone: (03) 5985 1700. Website: scubadoctor.com.au.
Self-Organised Boat Dives — The Most Rewarding Option
I will say this plainly: organising your own scallop boat dive — finding the GPS coordinates, planning the drift, briefing your crew, dropping in, and surfacing with a full bag — is one of the most rewarding experiences recreational diving has to offer. There is a level of satisfaction in a self-planned, successfully executed dive that no charter can fully replicate. It takes more effort and more trust in the people around you, but it is absolutely worth doing.
The key is going with a crew you genuinely trust. Someone needs to stay on the boat and follow your dive float at all times — this is not optional on a drift dive, and it requires an experienced, attentive surface crew. If you are not confident in your boat handler, join a charter first. Once you have done a scallop drift with a charter and understand how it works, running your own version with a trusted crew becomes a natural next step.
Finding the Beds
Start with the published GPS coordinates from The Scuba Doctor as your reference points. On the day, use a depth sounder to confirm flat sandy bottom at the target depth — scallops prefer smooth, shell-grit seabed, not reef or kelp. Underwater, skim low near the bottom and look for the distinctive ridged shells lying flat on the sand, slightly open to filter-feed. They are easier to spot from the side than from directly above.
Beds are patchy. If you drop onto an empty patch, keep moving with the drift and cover ground. A productive bed can appear suddenly after 50 metres of empty sand.
Equipment
- Mesh catch bag — a 20–30 litre drawstring mesh bag clipped to your BCD or worn on the wrist. Large enough for a meaningful haul without becoming unmanageable.
- Gloves — scallop shells have sharp edges; light gloves protect your hands without reducing dexterity.
- SMB (Surface Marker Buoy) — mandatory for drift dives. Deploy before ascending and keep it visible to the surface crew throughout the dive.
- Wetsuit — a 7 mm suit for winter dives when the bay drops to 11–13°C; 5 mm suits are adequate in summer (18–20°C). See our cold water diving gear guide.
- Esky on the boat — keep scallops cool from the moment they come aboard. They deteriorate quickly in heat.
Dive Technique
Establish neutral buoyancy at about 1 metre off the bottom and drift with the current, scanning the sand ahead of you. When you spot a scallop, descend slightly, pick it up cleanly with both hands (they can clap shut strongly), and drop it in your mesh bag. The current does most of the work — resist the urge to fight it or swim against it. Cover distance, cover ground, and let the drift move you across the bed.
Keep one eye on your SMB to ensure it is tracking above you and visible to the boat. At the end of the dive, inflate your SMB fully before ascending, and come up slowly. The surface crew should have you in sight throughout.
Best Season and Timing
Scallop diving in Port Phillip Bay is possible year-round, but the prime window is July through December. In these months, cooler water temperatures produce full, plump scallops with bright orange roe — the most prized eating condition. Visibility in the southern bay also tends to be better in the cooler months, making the beds easier to spot.
Summer scallops (January–March) are leaner and often without roe, though the longer days and warmer water make for more comfortable diving. If you are primarily diving for the experience rather than the table, summer works fine.
For day-of conditions, check wind, swell, and tidal timing before launching. The southern bay scallop sites are sheltered enough that most moderate weather days are diveable, but a southerly swell can make the Rye/Blairgowrie area uncomfortable. Use the Shore Dives scoring tool to check bay conditions.
How to Cook Fresh Scallops
The single most important rule: eat them the same day. A scallop shucked on the back of the boat and cooked within hours is in a different category from anything available at a fish market. Keep them on ice from the moment they come out of the water.
The orange roe (coral) is not to be wasted — it is considered a delicacy and is the best part of a fresh dive-caught scallop. Remove only the dark digestive gland (the dark fringe around the edge of the meat). Everything else — white adductor muscle and orange roe — goes in the pan.
Pan-Seared with Garlic Lemon Butter
Pat the scallops completely dry — wet scallops steam instead of sear. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron or stainless pan on high heat with a little olive oil until just smoking. Sear 2 minutes per side undisturbed until a golden crust forms. Remove scallops, reduce heat, melt butter with crushed garlic and a squeeze of lemon in the same pan for 1 minute, and spoon over the scallops. Serve immediately. The inside should be just-set and translucent — not rubbery.
Grilled on the Half Shell (on the boat)
Leave the scallop in the curved lower shell and place directly on a barbecue hotplate, shell-down. Cook 2 minutes until the shell heats. Spoon compound butter — softened butter mixed with garlic, parsley, chilli, and lemon zest — onto each scallop, then cook another 3–4 minutes until the butter is bubbling and the meat is just cooked. Eat straight from the shell. This is the classic boat-side cook — minimal gear, maximum reward.
Vietnamese Grilled Scallops — Sờ Điệp Mỡ Hành
Grill scallops in the half shell. Make scallion oil by finely slicing spring onions and pouring very hot oil over them to wilt. Add a small amount of fish sauce and a pinch of sugar. Spoon generously over the cooked scallops and grill 3–4 more minutes. Finish with crushed roasted peanuts and fried shallots. The sweetness of fresh Port Phillip Bay scallops works exceptionally well with this Vietnamese street-food preparation.
Raw / Crudo
Very fresh scallops need almost nothing. Shuck, slice thinly, arrange on a cold plate. Dress with a few drops of good olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Or simply ponzu and a little grated daikon, Japanese style. This only works with scallops collected that day and kept on ice — the freshness of a dive-caught specimen makes it genuinely excellent.
Steamed with XO Sauce
Steam shelled scallops in the half shell on high heat for 4–5 minutes. Spoon XO sauce (available at most Asian grocers, or homemade) over the cooked scallops, add a drizzle of light soy, and finish with fresh coriander. Clean, bold flavour that lets quality shine without overwhelming it.
Other Dive Fishing in the Same Waters
Port Phillip Bay and the surrounding Victorian coast offer several other rewarding dive fishing experiences worth knowing about.
Crayfish (Southern Rock Lobster)
The same operators who run scallop drifts also run dedicated cray dives, particularly to the reef systems around Port Phillip Heads. Cray diving has a longer season (16 November–31 May), stricter regulations including mandatory catch reporting via the GoFishVicRL app, and a bag limit of just two per person per day. The boat-dive advantage is even more pronounced for crays than for scallops. See our dedicated crayfish diving guide for full detail.
Abalone
Blacklip Abalone (Haliotis rubra) are present on rocky reef along the outer Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road. However, recreational abalone collection is subject to significant area restrictions — Port Phillip Bay is entirely closed to recreational taking, and much of the easily accessible outer coast is also closed. Some sections of the Otway coast and further west remain open with strict bag limits and size requirements. Always verify current open/closed area maps on the VFA website before diving with intent to collect abalone. Penalties for taking abalone in a closed zone are severe.
Spearfishing
Spearfishing for finfish is legal in Victorian waters subject to standard bag and size limits, a Recreational Fishing Licence, and area restrictions. A separate Speargun Licence is required from VicPol — this is not included in the standard fishing licence. Greenback flounder are commonly encountered on sandy bottom between the reef systems where you dive for scallops.
Plan Well, Go with People You Trust
The appeal of scallop diving is real — it is genuinely approachable, the target is abundant and delicious, and a well-planned dive produces an excellent meal for the whole boat. But the drift-dive format demands proper planning and a reliable surface crew. An unprepared pier attempt that underestimates the swim distance and post-dive tidal position will teach you this the uncomfortable way.
If you are new to scallop diving, join a charter first. Watch how the drift is managed, how the boat tracks the float, how the crew handles the catch. Then organise your own trip with people who have done it before. The reward of a self-organised, successfully executed scallop dive — surfacing with a full bag, shucking on the boat in the afternoon sun — is genuinely one of Melbourne diving's best experiences.
Browse Boat Dives for charter operators running scallop drift trips this season, or check the Shore Dives scoring tool for current bay conditions before launching.