Meet the site
The Marie Gabrielle was a three-masted wooden barque built at Nantes in 1864. Under Captain Blanchard she sailed from Foochow on 8 September 1869 with a cargo of tea for Melbourne and a crew of eleven, and at 1 am on 25 November, in thick weather, she ran onto the reef below Moonlight Head at the eastern end of what is now Wreck Beach. The crew got ashore, but four South Sea Islander seamen who set off to find help disappeared; two bodies were later found in a nearby gully. The survivors were eventually rescued after several days, and the wreck was stripped by the sea and by salvors within weeks. Twenty-two years later the Fiji struck the same reef 330 m to the west, and the two ships' anchors, dragged up the beach in the 1970s and set in the sand, now form the best-known landmark on the Great Ocean Walk.
Underwater there is very little left of a wooden ship lost in the surf zone 150 years ago. In a shallow gully in front of the anchors, in 1–3 m, lies a mound of anchor chain with the chain running back up to the beach anchors, three or four iron knees, two hexagonal mast hoops and a length of pipe, and fragments of timber wedged under the reef ledges. It is more a snorkel over an archaeological scatter than a dive, and it can only be attempted at dead low tide on a day with no swell, after the 350-step descent. The site is included because it is one of the oldest located wrecks on the Shipwreck Coast, because it sits beside the Fiji and shares its logistics, and because the beach itself is a place every visitor to the coast should see. Relics are protected under the Heritage Act.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Marie Gabrielle is recorded as Wreck in Shipwreck Coast & Warrnambool. The listed access is shore. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Marie Gabrielle suitable for my certification?
The record lists Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Marie Gabrielle through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Kelp, abalone, limpets, small wrasse and sweep in the gully; little else in the surf zone
Location
Remains of an 1869 French wooden barque in a shallow gully about 70 m off Wreck Beach, 330 m east of the Fiji; two anchors and a windlass stand on the beach at low tide.
Facilities nearby
Gravel car park only; no toilets or water; services at Princetown or Lavers Hill.
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
scubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.