SS Yongala Diving — Australia
The SS Yongala sank in a cyclone in 1911 and is now arguably the world's best wreck dive for marine life density. Giant groupers the size of cars, sea snakes by the dozen, bull sharks, eagle rays, and massive turtles all call this 110m wreck home. The biomass per square meter here is staggering — the wreck is an oasis in otherwise sandy seabed.
- Score
- 58.5 / 100
- Country
- Australia
- Region
- Asia-Pacific
- Area
- Queensland
- Nearest airport
- Townsville (TSV)
- Visibility
- 9–24 m
- Water temperature
- 22–30 °C
- Max depth
- 30 m
- Current strength
- moderate
- Dive types
- wreck, pelagic
- Best months
- May, June, July, August, September, October, November
- Minimum certification
- Open Water
- Access type
- boat
- Average 2-tank dive cost
- $150 USD
- Budget tier
- mid range
- Key species
- manta ray, whale shark, whale, humpback, seal
- Google rating
- 0 (0 reviews)
- Top operators
- Yongala Dive, Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive
- Nearest hyperbaric chamber
- Townsville Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (~80 km)
SCORE
-19.3058°N
147.6222°E
The SS Yongala sank in a cyclone in 1911 and is now arguably the world's best wreck dive for marine life density. Giant groupers the size of cars, sea snakes by the dozen, bull sharks, eagle rays, and massive turtles all call this 110m wreck home. The biomass per square meter here is staggering — the wreck is an oasis in otherwise sandy seabed.
Australia's Greatest Wreck Dive
Score Breakdown
Marine Life
68.0Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.
Click any score to see a detailed breakdown
Key Species
Dive Types
Traveling with Non-Divers?
Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.
Activities for Non-Divers
Nearby Cultural Sites
- Museum of Tropical Queensland (Townsville)
- SS Yongala Memorial
Non-Diver Partner Score
Limited topside — plan ahead for non-diving partners.
Safety & Emergency
Dive Insurance
Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.
Learn More at DAN.orgDrive to Townsville (1 hr) for hospital and chamber
Top Operators
Yongala Dive
PADI
Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive
PADI
What your dive shop won't tell you
The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.
Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.
What will challenge you
- →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
- →Wreck penetration requires Wreck specialty training at minimum, and often decompression planning. Don't improvise inside.
What will surprise you
- →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 8°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
Photography brief
Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.
Recommended kit
- →Wide-angle or fisheye (8-15mm range), dual strobes for close-focus wide angle
- →Dedicated video light for dark wreck interiors; don't rely on strobes alone
What this site will teach you
The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.
Wreck penetration fundamentals
advancedLine laying, gas planning for the way back, and silt-out response. Learn it on a site with clear-water wrecks before you try it in darker water.
Cool-head pelagic encounters
intermediateKeeping your breathing steady and your position stable when a 4 m manta or a school of hammerheads appears is a skill, not a reflex. Learn to slow down when you most want to speed up.
7-day trip, per person
Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.
Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,100–$1,300
- Accommodation / day
- $50–$100
- Diving / day
- $130–$150
- Food / day
- $10–$25
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,550–$1,850
- Accommodation / day
- $120–$220
- Diving / day
- $150–$200
- Food / day
- $30–$60
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators
- Flights (RT from US)
- $2,250–$2,750
- Accommodation / day
- $260–$500
- Diving / day
- $200–$260
- Food / day
- $70–$140
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.
Build a trip around it
Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.
- Great Barrier Reef79.4Australia
Same country, different dive character. Easy to combine in one trip without extra flights.
- Raja Ampat81.4Indonesia
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Sipadan Island81.3Malaysia
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Komodo National Park78.4Indonesia
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Tubbataha Reef76.0Philippines
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Okinawa68.5Japan
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
Best dive types here