Moreton Island, the third largest sand island in the world is located on the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia. The Tangalooma wrecked boats are one of the most famous wrecks in Australia, located just off the coast of Moreton Island, near the township of Tangalooma.
Which, during the 1950s, was the site for one of the largest whaling stations in the southern hemisphere. Lead Photo/Imgur
The wrecks comprises of fifteen deliberately sunk vessels near the coast to form a breakwall for small boats, also creating an amazing wreck dive and snorkel site in the process.
The Tangalooma Wrecks provide good diving in depths from 2-10 meters and the crystal clear waters provide fantastic visibility up to 8 meters.
Their history dates back to 1963 when a group of boat owners asked to have something done for safer anchorage and requested the construction of a man-made harbour just off the island. As a result of lobbying, their request was granted and approximately fifteen junk ships were buried in a sandbank off Moreton Island.
The huge structure created a break-wall, which served as a sanctuary to protect smaller boats. The decommissioned vessels included old barges, dredges, and flatboats. The Maryborough was the first vessel that was sunk in the waters.
One of the most attractive features of the wrecks is the variety of sea creatures that are found at the site, such as colorful tropical fishes, Kingfish, yellowtail, and wobbegongs. Recently the tops have been cut off them and signs advising not to climb on them have been erected to make it a safer swimming environment.