Glenelg Barge
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About this site
The Glenelg Barge is a hopper barge wreck off Glenelg in South Australia, lying in 20 m of water. She was used by the dredge South Australian to carry silt dredged from the Port River and dump it further out to sea. She was sunk in 1984 as an artificial reef, and the dredge was sunk the following year.
Access is by boat from the West Beach boat ramp, and the site is suitable for anyone with an entry-level scuba qualification. A star dropper trail leads from the barge about 20 m to the dredge, which is best followed in times of low current.
The wreck is about 30 m long and easy to swim. At either end a small opening leads into the work rooms, and in the rooms on each side of the hoppers are entrances to the flotation chambers, which divers can look into. Some bulkheads have rusted away, so the work rooms can now be reached from inside the hoppers.
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Penetration is possible only with lines, torches and knowledge of the layout, and it is not recommended because the chamber entrances are very restricted. The main hazards are rusting metal, silting and those restricted entrances.
Marine life includes bullseyes, old wives, leatherjackets, nudibranchs and sweep, and the wreck holds a wide variety of fish.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Bluefin LeatherjacketThamnaconus degeniReported here · unconfirmed
rough rock crabNectocarcinus integrifronsReported here · unconfirmed
Great spider crabLeptomithrax gaimardiiReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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