Diving at one of the best wreck dives in the world:
The Yongala Wreck
| Name divesite: | Yongala Wreck |
| Depth: | 15-33m (49-108ft) |
| Visibility: | 10-30m (32-98ft) |
| Accessibility: | Boat |
| Time to visit: | All year around with warmest water in summer (nov-feb) |
| Specifications: |     |
While there 
are many shipwrecks along Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the best wreck dives is this one, the S.S. Yongala. This ship, made out of steel and timber, sank during a cyclone just about 60 kilometers from Townsville, taking the lives of all 121 passengers.
This wreck lies in the middle of a flat and sandy shipping channel in about 30m of water. You can still see the aft, the rudder and forward masts, engine and steamrooms, 
toilets, port-holes and most of the name - Yongala - even after almost 100 years in the water.
The wreck is covered in brightly colored soft and hard corals, hydroids and sea fans.
Because it is the 
only hard structure for about 20 kilometers in all directions, it's an attraction to large pelagics like sharks, barracuda and other large fish that have made the wreck their home. Some of them came into the news in 2001, when one of the three large groupers, started to become aggressive against divers. The youngest of the three bit one of the divers in the neck.
At last, it is considered as one of the best dives in the world. One you shouldn't miss and when on a trip to Australia, it is definitely a must see.
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| Name: Sophie | Date: 2008-06-11 |
| Simply FANTASTIC, one of my best dives ever, I didn't even have the time to look at the wreck itself, as there were so many fishes ! And seasnakes, turtles, eagle ray, giant cod etc...Just do it ! | |
| Name: Leonna | Date: 2007-07-24 |
| Blew me away, saw everything you could wish to see, have dived some stunning places since but nowhere comes close. Awesome. | |
| Name: Lars Hemel | Date: 2006-11-20 |
| This was one of my best dives ever. I was lucky enough to do this dive multiple times when I did my divemaster course at Magnetic Island. I finished my divemaster course just before the gropers started to become agressive. And I have seen many snakes, gropers, cods and other big fish, that definetely made it my best dive so far. | |
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Editor: Lars Hemel Have fun breathing underwater, but breathing above water is even more important!
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