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SS Yongala
 Townsville / Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia
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Max Depth: 91-100ft/28-30m
Average Viz: 141-150ft/43-46m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Clay/Muck
Aquatic Life: Plenty To See
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Rating: 4.62 by 8 divers
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SS Yongala is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in Townsville / Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia. This dive site has an average rating of 4.62 out of 5 from 8 scuba divers. The maximum depth is 91-100ft/28-30m. The average visibility is 141-150ft/43-46m.
The S.S. Yongala sank in a cyclone on the 23rd March 1911 and remained undiscovered for almost 50 years, not being positively identified until 1958. The wreck now lies on its starboard side in 14-28 metres of water and at 109m long is the largest and most intact, historic shipwreck in Australian waters.
It has now become known as one of the world’s top wreck dives and certainly one of Australia’s best dive sites due to the prolific variety of marine life. Giant Queensland gropers hang beneath the stern while schools of trevally and cobia congregate around the depths of the wreck. Queenfish, barracuda, turtles, sea snakes, eagle rays and clown fish are just some of the other incredible life inhabiting the coral encrusted structure.
Considered the best wreck dive on the planet, the century-old SS Yongala shipwreck is an impressive 110 meters in size and sank after a tropical cyclone in 1911 with 124 passengers onboard. The eerie wreck was found in the 1950s and is not only surrounded by history, but also two-meter giant groupers, trevallies, manta and eagle ray plus rare bull, tiger and leopard sharks. However, the main attraction has to be the winter sightings of graceful minke whales and up to 16-meter-long (and 30-50 ton) singing humpback whales.