reef

Log This Dive

The Valliant (Wreck)

The Valliant might be small, but it punches above its weight. This old tug, lying just off Barrenjoey Headland at 26 metres, has truly transformed into a home. We love drifting down onto the deck, the wheelhouse often still recognisable amidst the growth. The metalwork is draped in all sorts of soft temperate corals, some vibrant purples and oranges, and the amount of sponge life is impressive, a fuzzy blanket over everything. Keep an eye out for the resident banjo sharks, they like to bury themselves in the sand just off the hull, sometimes only their eyes visible. Inside, we’ve found eastern wirrah tucked into shadowy corners, and schools of yellow-eye mullet often mill about above the mast, a shimmering cloud. Visibility here averages about six metres, which, for us, just adds to the wreck's intimate feel – it reveals itself slowly. It’s an ideal site for anyone keen on a relaxed wreck dive with a healthy dose of invertebrate life, without the strong currents sometimes found elsewhere in Sydney.