Best Scuba Spot#1

The SS Yongala Wreck Australia’s Best Wreck Dive Dive the Yongala Wreck, one of the world’s top dive sites. This famous wreck is located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, just 12 nautical miles away from our baseat Alva Beach in Queensland, Australia. A short history: You’d think that with thousands of miles of Coral Reefs, Australia’s coast would be littered with shipwrecks begging for the Scuba diver’s attention. After all, getting wrecked on the reef is a longstanding tradition, starting with the very first English ship to explore the Australian coastline: The Endeavor, led by Captain Cook, struck the Great Barrier Reef just north of Cairns and nearly sank. While there are wrecks to dive on along the Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, one of the most outstanding wreck dives is that of the S.S. Yongala. This steel and timber steamship sank in 1911 during a cyclone about 48 nautical miles from Townsville, taking the lives of all 121 passengers. The S.S. Yongala; An old wreck in great condition: The wreck lies in the middle of a flat, sandy shipping channel in about 30m of water and is the only solid structure to he found for miles. Despite this, Scuba divers can still see the rudder, the aft and forward masts, engine and steam rooms, toilets, port-holes and most of the name – Yongala - even after almost 100 years in the water. This historic wreck is a cultural landmark, and is totally protected. Divers are no longer allowed to go into the wreck, as the air bubbles trapped inside would corrode the wreck.