This wreck dive is known as ‘Australia’s best dive’. It is by far the most expensive dive we have done, but it was worth every cent. You can reach this dive spot by boat, departing from Townsville, the second largest city in Queensland, Australia.

Townsville

There are numerous dive schools and the tourist sector is completely focussed on the Great Barrier Reef. An interesting place to visit in Townsville is the Reef HQ, an education centre about the Great Barrier Reef, with a multi million litre tropical fish and coral reef tank. There are many different places to stay in Townsville, only for a campground you have to go about 20 kilometres outside of the city.

SS Yongala

The SS Yongala was build in Newcastle England, and sank during a cyclone in 1911. The wreck was not discovered until 1958. It lies on a remote location and is nowadays still largely intact. You can for example still see pieces of furniture.

When disaster struck the ship, 122 lives were lost. The bodies were never recovered and the wreck is a marine gravesite. Therefore divers are not allowed to enter the wreck, out of respect for those who died there.

The top of the wreck starts at 14 metres below the surface and the maximum depth of the dive site is about 28 metres.

Wreckdive

The wreck lies on its side in the middle of a large plate of sand and is the only reef structure in the region. Because of this, it is the only place where marine life has easy access to food and you can find an absolute abundance of life here. A lot of the larger fish species are attracted to the site as well.

A selection of the species we encountered: green turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead turtle, olive sea snakes, emperor angelfish, giant travalli, hump headed Maori wrasse, barramundi, batfish, anemone and clownfish, silver and yellow fusiliers, potato cod, grouper, bull rays and sharks.

Not only is there a lot of marine life present at the site, the species are unusually large.

Dive conditions

The waters here are around 24 degrees Celsius. We went diving here in September 2004, but the temperature does not change very much during the seasons. Visibility is generally good: 15 metres or more.

Adrenalin Dive

There are many dive schools in Townsville, offering various trips, but the trip to the SS Yongala Wreck is expensive everywhere (about 250 Australian dollars including gear and guide for two dives). We went diving with Adrenalin Dive. They have got an experienced crew, a proper boat and nice gear.

Remote dive site

It is a very long boat trip of more than 3 hours and since the dive sites are not sheltered at all, the waves can be a bit rough.

You can spot humpback whales on the way over though. Be prepared to leave the harbour very early in the morning. The remoteness is really the only downside of this dive; it is definitely going to be one of the most beautiful dive sites you have ever seen!