Meet the site
The SS Marion is one of the oldest steamship wrecks in South Australia. Built in Glasgow in 1854, she was an iron-hulled screw steamer working the coastal passenger and cargo trade. On 10 July 1862, with 35 passengers and 15 crew aboard, she was feeling her way along the coast in fog when ocean swell lifted her onto the reef in what is now Cable Hut Bay, west of Stenhouse Bay. All aboard reached safety, and the name Marion Bay commemorates the loss. The Department for Environment and Water describes the wreck lying in two sections on reef and a sandy bottom close to the cliffs. After more than 160 years of Southern Ocean swell, the remains are broken and scattered – iron plating, frames, machinery fragments and fittings wedged into the limestone – but enough survives to trace the two main sections, and the ironwork has been absorbed into a lively reef. Kelp and brown algae cover the rock, sponges grow on the sheltered iron, and sweep, old wives, magpie perch, zebrafish and blue groper move through the wreckage, with crayfish under plates. The site is on the Investigator Strait Shipwreck Trail but is rarely dived because it requires a boat and calm weather, and it lies close to the cliffs where surge builds quickly. For divers working through the trail it is an evocative dive in a dramatic setting, and it combines well with Chinamans Hat or the Stenhouse Bay jetty and Hougomont. It suits Open Water divers with some experience of surge. Depths are moderate and navigation straightforward on a calm day. The wreck is protected – look, photograph, and leave everything in place.
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 Marion Wreck is recorded as Wreck in Yorke Peninsula. The listed access is boat. 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.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- 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 Marion Wreck 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 SS Marion 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
Sweep, old wives, magpie perch, zebrafish, western blue groper, southern rock lobster, kelp, sponges
Location
Scattered remains of the iron screw steamer Marion, wrecked in 1862 in Cable Hut Bay on the Innes coast between Stenhouse Bay and Cape Spencer, lying in two sections on reef and sand.
Facilities nearby
Marion Bay boat ramp and services.
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 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.