Barcoola Wreck

Meet the site

The Barcoola is an old steel fishing trawler that sank in 1994 and now lies on sand in about 44 m, well offshore from 1770. It has a reputation out of all proportion to its size: marinelife.org.au notes that locals claim it has better marine life than the famous SS Yongala, and Dave Harasti writes that the wreck itself is often obscured by its 'massive school of baitfish'.

Around and within that bait ball live large estuary cod, Queensland gropers, red emperor, tropical snappers, coral trout, kingfish and giant cobia, and bronze whaler sharks patrol the area. Soft corals and sponges have colonised the hull. In winter, visibility can reach 40 m, and on those days the sight of the wreck appearing through a wall of fish is one of the great dives of the southern Queensland coast.

It is also a serious dive. At 44 m it is beyond recreational limits, the site is tidal and must be dived at high-water slack, and it lies around 40 km from the nearest ramp through a shallow bar. Marinelife.org.au describes it as suited to experienced divers; in practice it is a technical dive requiring decompression planning, appropriate gas (trimix to manage narcosis) and full boat support. Dive Spear and Sport @ 1770 offers technical wreck diving to 48 m, which covers this depth range.

Little else is published about the vessel's size or history. Anyone planning a visit should treat the Barcoola as an expedition-style day: long weather windows, redundant gas, emergency oxygen and a clear plan for a site many hours from a recompression chamber.

What you might see

Massive baitfish school, estuary cod, Queensland groper, red emperor, tropical snapper, coral trout, kingfish, giant cobia, bronze whaler sharks, soft corals, sponges

Location

Old steel fishing trawler sunk in 1994 in about 44 m on sand some 44 km from the 1770 bar, famous for an enormous resident school of baitfish.

Facilities nearby

Departure: Seventeen Seventy boat ramp (Round Hill Creek)