Meet the site
The Antonio Tarabocchia was an Italian motorship of 5,851 tons that struck the seaward side of Bougainville Reef, about 250 km north-east of Cairns, in mid-November 1961. Marinelife.org.au records that she was on her way to load sugar when she struck the reef in darkness, and that her bow rode out of the water; salvage attempts failed. Dive the World says she sank after hitting the reef during south-easterly storms on a dark, rainy night. The Coral Sea shipwreck register kept by Oceans Enterprises lists her as a steel freighter.
More than sixty years of Coral Sea weather have broken the ship apart. Today the remains are scattered across gentle coral terraces on the reef slope, heavily deteriorated but still easy to recognise. Mike Ball describes an engine block and propeller as the main features, with a resident potato cod that follows divers around the site. Hull plates, ribs and machinery lie among hard corals, which have colonised much of the wreckage.
The water is very clear, so the whole debris field can be taken in from above. Marinelife.org.au gives a depth of about 15 m, and the shallowest wreckage lies only a few metres down on the reef edge. Reef fish shelter among the plates, including anemonefish, Maori wrasse, clown triggerfish and snappers, and sharks patrol the slope below.
The Tarabocchia is not a penetration wreck; there are no intact spaces to enter. It is a relaxed, photogenic dive that suits all certified divers, with history, coral and a friendly potato cod. Having sunk in 1961, the wreck will not qualify for automatic protection under the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 (which covers wrecks 75 or more years old) until 2036, but it lies within the Coral Sea Marine Park, and divers should take nothing and leave it as found.
What you might see
Potato cod (resident), Maori wrasse, clown triggerfish, anemonefish, snappers, reef sharks; hard corals colonising the wreckage
Location
The scattered remains of a 5,851-ton Italian cargo ship on the seaward side of Bougainville Reef, lying on coral terraces in clear water.
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
mikeball.commikeball.commikeball.commarinelife.org.audive-the-world.comoceans1.customer.netspace.net.auaustralianmarineparks.gov.auRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.