SS Yongala

The SS Yongala is a wreck lying largely intact on its starboard side on a sandy seabed in open water, with no shelter around it. The ship was built in 1903 in Newcastle upon Tyne. She sank in a cyclone on 23 March 1911 with all 122 people aboard lost, as she had no wireless radio and could not receive cyclone warnings. The wreck was located in 1958 and identified by its recovered safe. It is protected as a historic site and a grave, so penetration is prohibited.

It is rated advanced, and the top of the structure sits at about 14 to 16 metres and the seabed at about 28 to 30 metres. Giant marble rays, sea snakes, turtles, reef sharks, schooling barracuda, trevally and giant groupers are seen here, along with hard and soft corals on the hull.

Visibility usually runs 10 to 25 metres, with occasional exceptional clarity. March to November is the most stable period, with June to August giving the best visibility, while December to February is unpredictable because of tropical weather systems. Currents are common and can be strong, and conditions can change quickly.