wreck

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DONA CONCHITA

Dona Conchita is a proper, atmospheric wreck dive, shallow enough that you can spend a good chunk of time exploring without worrying too much about your no-decompression limits. She’s a motor vessel that ran aground off Fortune Island back in ‘72 and eventually broke apart, but what’s left is surprisingly intact in places. We love drifting along the main hull section, watching the light play through the gaps in the metal, illuminating schools of fusiliers so thick they sometimes block your view of the other side. The wreck sits in about 15 metres of water, making it accessible for most certified divers, though we’d suggest some buoyancy control practice beforehand to avoid stirring up the silty bottom inside. Keep an eye out for nudibranchs, especially around the more encrusted sections – the variety here is fantastic. We find the bow section particularly striking; it’s still fairly upright, and the way the corals have claimed it over the decades makes for some brilliant photographic opportunities, especially late morning when the sun’s higher. It’s not a massive wreck, but there are plenty of nooks and crannies to poke your head into, and it offers a real sense of history under the waves.