SS Yongala wreck

The ship and its loss

The Yongala was a coastal passenger steamer. She left Mackay for Townsville on 23 March 1911 and steamed into a cyclone that night. Nobody survived: all 122 passengers and crew were lost, along with a racehorse named Moonshine.

The wreck was found by a local fisherman in 1958. Its identity was confirmed in 1961, when the serial number on a safe recovered from the wreck was traced back to the ship.

The dive

The wreck lies about 12 nautical miles (22 km) east of Cape Bowling Green, roughly 90 km south-east of Townsville. At about 110 m long, it is far too big to see in one dive. The hull lies heavily over on its starboard side with the bow pointing north. The shallowest parts are about 14–16 m down and the sand around it is at roughly 28–30 m.

Because it is the only large structure on a flat, sandy seabed, the ship has become an artificial reef, with hard and soft corals over most of its length. Currents are often strong, so this is a dive for experienced divers.

Protection rules

The Yongala is protected under the Commonwealth Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018. A protected zone covers the wreck and all the seabed within 797 m of it. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority says a permit from the Australian Government environment department is needed to enter the zone.

Penetrating the wreck is not allowed and nothing may be touched or taken; all diving is along the outside of the hull. Anchoring inside the zone has been banned since 2002, and boats use the moorings installed at the site instead.

Marine life

The wreck is known for the size and number of its fish. Divers regularly report big schools of fish, giant trevally, Queensland groupers, eagle rays and marble rays, turtles, humphead (Maori) wrasse and sharks, plus plenty of small life in the coral. In winter, humpback whales pass by and can often be heard underwater.