SS Yongala
Dive site in SS Yongala (Townsville), Australia
Sunk by a cyclone in March 1911, the wreck lies on a 30 m seabed with its upper parts at 16 m; penetration diving is prohibited by law.
- Usual dive
- 30 m
- Deepest point
- 30 m
- Level
- Advanced
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Entry
- By boat
- Current
- Strong
The story
The passenger steamship SS Yongala sank in a cyclone off Queensland in March 1911, killing everyone aboard. Fisherman Bill Kirkpatrick found the wreck in 1958; access today is by permit only.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The dive
A wreck dive from a boat. Known for reef sharks, turtles and eagle rays.
Who it's for
Recommended minimum: Advanced (PADI Advanced Open Water, N2).
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- CurrentCurrent can be strong; you need good air management and buoyancy.
- Strong current: dive with a local guide and carry a surface marker buoy.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Wreck
- Environment
- Open water
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Reef sharks
- Turtles
- Eagle rays
- Rays
- Barracuda
- Trevally
- Groupers
- Sea snakes
Why divers come
- Historic wreck
- History
- Bucket-list dive
Season in SS Yongala (Townsville)
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: Jun–Sep.
Source: spiritoffreedom.com.auWhere is SS Yongala (Townsville)?
The point shows the SS Yongala (Townsville) area, not the exact dive site.
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.