Ex-HMAS Hobart - South Australia
The Ex-HMAS Hobart, scuttled off South Australia, feels less like a wreck and more like an underwater museum. We love that it’s an accessible wreck dive, sitting upright and pretty intact, with plenty of opportunities to penetrate. You can duck into the engine room, navigate the bridge, or explore the missile launcher, each section offering a different mood. Inside, the light plays through openings, illuminating schools of old wives and sweepers, while outside, big schools of yellowtail scad often swirl around the mast. Our favourite spot is probably the funnel, where you’ll frequently find a giant cuttlefish or two eyeing you curiously. It’s not just the structure; the marine life has really made it home. Nudibranchs crawl over railings, and schools of magpie perch congregate in the darker corners. We’d suggest going on a calm day; South Australian weather can be temperamental, and good visibility really enhances the experience here. It suits divers who appreciate a well-preserved wreck with some current awareness.
- Location
- South Australia, Australia, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -35.471146, 138.153290
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Encounter
Nearby Dive Sites in South Australia
- Bird Reef (reef)
- Broken Bottom
- Buffalo Reef (reef)
- Christies Beach Reef (reef)
- Donnington Reef (reef)
- Edithburgh Jetty - 5-15m (reef)
- Emmes Reef (reef)
- Encounter Reef (reef)
- Glenelg Barge (wreck)
- Glenelg Reef (reef)
- Godfey Islands Reef (reef)
- Hareby Island Reef (reef)
- Hawkers Devil Reef (reef)
- HMAS Hobart (D 39) (wreck)
- Horseshoe Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Ex-HMAS Hobart
- Adelaide Adventure Charter Pty Ltd - ["PADI"]
- Adelaide Scuba - ["PADI"]
- Diving Adelaide - PADI
- The Dive Shop Port Lincoln - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in South Australia
Home to 102 recorded species including 44 reef fish, 17 whales & dolphins, 15 sharks & rays, 7 seagrass & algae, 5 other, 4 starfish.
Notable Species
- Bronze whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus) - Sharks & Rays
- Snapper (Pagrus auratus) - Reef Fish
- Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) - Seagrass & Algae
- Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) - Sharks & Rays
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) - Sharks & Rays
- Inanga (Galaxias maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) - Reef Fish
- Yellow-eye Mullet (Aldrichetta forsteri) - Reef Fish
- Medium-snouted pipefish (Vanacampus phillipi) - Reef Fish
- Crested Weedfish (Cristiceps australis) - Reef Fish
- Bluefin Gurnard (Chelidonichthys kumu) - Reef Fish
- Five-armed seastar (Uniophora granifera) - Starfish
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Tasmanian Blenny (Parablennius tasmanianus) - Reef Fish
- European fan-worm (Sabella spallanzanii) - Worms
- Smooth Toadfish (Tetractenos glaber) - Reef Fish