SS Yongala - Great Barrier Reef

Diving the SS Yongala feels less like exploring a wreck and more like entering an oceanic aquarium. This isn’t a pick-your-way-through-corridors kind of dive; penetration is banned, and honestly, you won’t miss it. The real show is external. We love hanging off the bow, letting the current carry us slowly past the huge Queensland groupers that guard the engine room, their sheer size always surprising. The stern, at around 30 metres, is often where we spot bull sharks circling, sleek and powerful. What truly makes the Yongala special is the sheer volume of life that pulses around it. Schools of trevally and barracuda are so thick they often obscure parts of the wreck, parting only to reveal a curious sea snake or an eagle ray gliding past. We’ve had manta rays cruise by here too, just cruising along, unbothered by our presence. The currents can be serious, so it’s not for the nervous, but for experienced divers who appreciate raw, untamed marine abundance, it’s absolutely captivating. The wreck itself, upright and proud on the sandy bottom, is a monument to both history and nature’s relentless reclamation.

Location: Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Australasia
Coordinates: -19.305800, 147.622200
Type: wreck

Marine Protected Area: Bowling Green Bay

Best Time to Dive in Great Barrier Reef

The warmest water temperatures in Great Barrier Reef occur in February, averaging 29.5°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 25.0°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

January: 29.4°C
February: 29.5°C
March: 29.2°C
April: 28.4°C
May: 26.9°C
June: 25.8°C
July: 25.1°C
August: 25.0°C
September: 25.4°C
October: 26.6°C
November: 27.7°C
December: 29.0°C

Nearest Dive Centres to SS Yongala

Marine Life in Great Barrier Reef

Home to 163 recorded species including 88 reef fish, 61 hard corals, 9 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays, 1 starfish, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.

Notable Species

thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) - Sharks & Rays
Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora damicornis) - Hard Corals
Lineated Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) - Reef Fish
Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
Bird wrasse (Gomphosus varius) - Reef Fish
Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
Telescopefish (Epibulus insidiator) - Reef Fish
Banded thicklip (Hemigymnus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
Fluorescence grass coral (Galaxea fascicularis) - Hard Corals
Blunt-head Parrotfish (Chlorurus microrhinos) - Reef Fish
Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
Chameleon Parrotfish (Scarus chameleon) - Reef Fish
Citron Butterfly (Chaetodon citrinellus) - Reef Fish
Black-back Butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus) - Reef Fish

Recommended Packing List for SS Yongala

Based on average water temperature of 27.3°C, currents 17 cm/s.

Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
Mask - essential for every dive
Fins
BCD - buoyancy compensator
Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories