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SS Galava (Wreck)

The SS Galava is one of those wrecks that just delivers. We’ve done our fair share of Sydney dives, and this one consistently stands out as a solid day out. Lying in 28 metres, a little over three nautical miles off Terrigal, she’s a proper ship, not just a pile of scattered debris. As you descend, the dark shape emerges, usually greeted by a circling school of kingfish, often big ones. We love exploring the intact bow section, where the anchor chain still leads off into the blue. The stern is more broken up, but you can still pick out machinery, and there are plenty of nooks and crannies to peer into. We’ve found wobbegongs tucked into almost every shadowed corner, and the sheer volume of baitfish swarming the structure can be incredible, sometimes so thick it feels like you're diving through a silver cloud. Look out for the resident bull sharks that occasionally cruise by; they add a real edge to the dive. Visibility here often hits 20 metres, making it a great wreck for experienced divers who appreciate exploring a substantial, colonised structure.