wreck

Log This Dive

SS Oratava, wreck

The SS Oratava is a proper old-school wreck, a freighter that went down in 1909 and has been settling into the sand ever since. We love a wreck with a story, and this one certainly has character, even if it’s getting a bit unstable in places. You’ll hit the highest point around 23 metres, right at the top of the funnel, and she slopes down to 30 metres at her deepest. It’s an excellent dive for those who appreciate the skeletal remains of history. You can still make out the long raised quarter deck and the outline of the small wheelhouse, now open to the ocean. Expect to see multi-coloured sea fans swaying in the surge, big strawberry sea anemones clinging to the metal, and we’ve often spotted frilled nudibranchs crawling along the corroded plates. Visibility here averages around seven metres, so it’s a site for focusing on the details, getting up close with the wreck, and appreciating the life that has made a home out of her. It's a dive that rewards slow, deliberate exploration.