Meet the site
The SS Ferret had one of the most colourful careers of any vessel wrecked in South Australian waters. She was an iron-hulled, schooner-rigged screw steamer built in Glasgow in 1871, about 52 m long and 460 tons. In 1880 she was stolen from Glasgow by a gang of fraudsters, disguised under new names, and sailed halfway around the world on what the press called a piracy voyage before being seized in Melbourne in 1881. She was later sold and spent decades as a coastal trader in Australian waters. On 14 November 1920, in dense fog near Althorpe Island, her master altered course and she ran ashore at the southern end of what is now Ethel Beach. All 22 crew survived. The Department for Environment and Water notes that her boiler is now the most prominent feature, with other remains scattered and periodically covered by the shifting sand that also hides and reveals the neighbouring Ethel. Like the Ethel, the Ferret is a walk-in heritage site in the surf zone rather than a dive. The beach is dangerous for swimming, and the wreckage is best appreciated at low tide from the sand, together with the interpretive signs at the clifftop lookout that tell both ships' stories. It is worth the visit on a day when swell closes the dive sites around Innes, and it gives context to the many wrecks divers explore elsewhere on the Investigator Strait Shipwreck Trail – the Willyama, Hougomont, Marion and Althorpe Island wrecks. Allow an hour for the round trip from the car park, including time on the stairs, and time the visit for low tide so the boiler can be approached safely on the sand.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
SS Ferret Wreck is recorded as Wreck in Yorke Peninsula. 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 SS Ferret Wreck suitable for my certification?
The record lists Snorkel/Any. 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 SS Ferret Wreck 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
Minimal – barnacles and algae on the boiler; seabirds offshore
Location
Remains of the iron coastal steamer Ferret (wrecked 1920), chiefly her boiler, on Ethel Beach in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, a short walk from the Ethel wreck.
Facilities nearby
Ethel Wreck car park and lookout; park campgrounds and Stenhouse Bay visitor centre nearby.
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
environment.sa.gov.auRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.