G.W. Wolff (Prime Seal Island)

Meet the site

The G.W. Wolff was built by Harland and Wolff, the builders of the Titanic, and named after one of the firm's partners. She was wrecked on the western side of Prime Seal Island on 8 August 1912; the crew, except the captain, reached shore safely. The Marine Life Network guide rates the site 6 out of 10: a rocky bottom with small boulders and short weed in 3-5 m, large ironwork visible but the vessel largely disintegrated, and deadeyes from the rigging wedged under rocks. It has been heavily souvenired; the anchors were recovered for restoration. Local advice from Flinders Island Dive or the charter skippers at Lady Barron on current conditions, tides and exact positions is the best starting point for any dive here.

The Furneaux Group - Flinders, Cape Barren, Clarke, Preservation and dozens of smaller islands - is one of Australia's least-dived temperate regions. Granite dominates, but Flinders Island also has unusual limestone reefs, and the islands' position on the eastern approach to Bass Strait left a long trail of shipwrecks from the colony's earliest years. The Marine Life Network guide remains the fullest published account of the dive sites; since then Flinders Island Dive at Emita has made air and guiding available on the island.

All wrecks over 75 years old are protected under Commonwealth and Tasmanian heritage law: nothing may be disturbed or removed, and new finds should be reported to the Parks and Wildlife Service. There is no chamber on the island, so a diving injury means aeromedical evacuation to Hobart or Melbourne; dive conservatively and carry oxygen.

What you might see

Short weed, small reef fish

Location

Largely disintegrated wreck of the G.W. Wolff (1912) on the western side of Prime Seal Island, off north-west Flinders Island, in 3-5 m.

Facilities nearby

Whitemark: shops, fuel, hospital (no chamber), accommodation. Lady Barron: ramp, fuel, pub, store. Emita: Flinders Island Dive (air, hire) and Furneaux Museum.