Diving the S.S. Yongala Wreck
The S.S. Yongala is a wrecked passenger ship that sunk around 48 miles off the coast of the city of Townsville in Northern Queensland, Australia.
The Yongala sank as a result of its encounter with a cyclone as it was travelling from Melbourne to Cairns in March 1911 and resulted in the deaths of its 122 passengers and crew.
Although the S.S. Yongala’s demise occurred in 1911, its actual wherebouts remained a mystery until it was discovered by accident at its resting place off Townsville in 1958. The story of the Yongala is perhaps the biggest catastrophe in Australia’s maritime history.
Since 1958 however, the S.S. Yongala has become an extremely important marine ecosystem and a highly popular location for recreational scuba diving.
Where Exactly Does the Yongala Lie?
The Yongala lies approximately 0.8 hectares within a 500m radius at 19°18′27″S 147°37′31″E / -19.3075, 147.62528. It is around 48 miles east of the Townsville coast and 22 miles north-east of Ayr in the Coral Sea within the zone of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The Yongala is a Heritage Site as listed by the Queensland National Estate. Divers are strictly forbidden from entering the Yongala as CO2 bubbles left inside the wreck could contribute to its deterioration.
The S.S. Yongala: A Good Dive Location?
Undoubtedly.
The SS Yongala is one the best wreck dives in the world but many divers actually consider the Yongala to be THE best dive spot bar none!
The Yongala rests in approximately 30 meters of water on a flat, sandy bottom. There is nothing else around the SS Yongala for literally miles, and as the ship is 110 meters in length she is not difficult to spot when you are in the underwater vicinity.
The SS Yongala Experience
Visibility is generally very good and the wreck of the SS Yongala itself is impressive to say the least. The hull is in good condition but you can also clearly see the rudder, masts, engine room, toilets, port holes and most of the ship’s name is also apparent.
The Yongala is literally encrusted with highly colorful hard and soft coral. You will also see abundant hydroids and sea fans swaying gently in the sea breeze. As such the Yongala appears like an oasis in a sandy desert and as a result it attracts an enormous array of marine life. On any dive there you will likely see some, or maybe even all, of the following on a good day:
- Barracuda
- Many varieties of ray
- Sharks
- Turtles
- Giant gropers
- Giant sized wrasse
- Sea snakes
- and much, much more!
Diving Trips to the Yongala
You should be able to find many operators in Townsville offering 
dive trips to the Yongala. Be well aware though that tides and currents can make the Yongala a relatively difficult dive so it is important to choose the right time to dive.
You also need to be aware that the Yongala is a very popular diving location (around 10,000 divers vist her annually) and so you will likely not be there on your own.
Also due to varying conditions dives to the Yongala can be cancelled at short notice: high winds or strong currents particularly affect Yongala dives as she is relatively exposed, having no protection from reef etc. However, given the right conditions diving at the site of the SS Yongala could just about be one of the best diving experiences of your life.
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