Emily S

Meet the site

The Emily S is a 30 m steel-hulled stern trawler with a long working history: built at Mort's Dock in Sydney in 1946 as the tug Freda, renamed Vigorous by the Melbourne Harbour Trust in 1947, later KD and finally Emily S when converted to a fishing trawler. On 1 September 1991 the Portland Dive Club scuttled her as an artificial reef about 350 m north-east of Lawrence Rocks, choosing the sheltered side of the rocks so that she could be dived when the exposed sites were not. She settled, in the Scuba Doctor's words, beautifully upright on her keel in 24 m of water between two rocky reefs, and more than thirty years later she remains intact, with the hull, wheelhouse and deck fittings in place and some easy penetration opportunities for those with the training. She is the only purpose-sunk dive wreck in western Victoria.

The wreck has become a reef in its own right. The hull and superstructure are coated in the sponges, ascidians, hydroids and jewel anemones that the cold Portland water grows so well, schools of butterfly perch, sweep and bullseyes hang over the deck, boarfish and wrasse patrol the sides, crayfish have moved into the hull, and a family of weedy seadragons is regularly found near the propeller. Seals from Lawrence Rocks pass through and gannets from the colony dive on baitfish around the site. At 24 m to the sand and about 16 m to the top of the wheelhouse it is an Advanced Open Water depth dive, but the layout is simple, the lee of the rocks keeps conditions manageable, and Visit Portland describes it as suitable for novice to advanced divers – the caveat being that penetration should be left to those with wreck training. It is the most regularly dived boat site in Portland and combines with The Nursery caves 234 m away for a two-dive day. No charter operates from the port; access is by private boat or arrangement with a fishing charter, twenty minutes from the harbour ramps.

What you might see

Weedy seadragons (near the propeller), butterfly perch, sea sweep, bullseyes, longsnout boarfish, blue-throat wrasse, southern rock lobster, jewel anemones, sponges, ascidians and hydroids on the hull, Australian fur seals, Australasian gannets

Location

Steel stern trawler scuttled by the Portland Dive Club in 1991, sitting upright on her keel in 24 m between two reefs about 350 m north-east of Lawrence Rocks on the sheltered side.

Facilities nearby

Portland Harbour ramps with trailer parking, toilets and showers at the Lee Breakwater; Portland SCUBA for air, gear and courses; Portland town facilities, fuel and accommodation.