Tangalooma Wrecks
LOCATION Moreton Island off Brisbane, Queensland Australia
DEPTH 1-5 Meters
WATER TEMP 20-26 Degrees
DIFFICULTY Medium
The swim to the barges can be hard if there is a current.
FEATURE
Google Map data © 2024 Imagery © Airbus, Maxar Technologies
Tangalooma Wrecks
LOCATION Moreton Island off Brisbane, Queensland Australia
DEPTH 1-5 Meters
WATER TEMP 20-26 Degrees
DIFFICULTY Medium
The swim to the barges can be hard if there is a current.
FEATURE
Tangalooma Wrecks Snorkel
The Tangalooma Wrecks on Moreton Island are renowned for its crystal-clear water and abundant marine life. This snorkel features 15 sunken ships and barges that have created an artificial reef just off the beach. Ideal for snorkelers, the Tangalooma Wrecks offer a unique opportunity to encounter a variety of fish, turtles, and maybe even a dolphin.
Getting There
Moreton Island is a 75 minute ferry ride from Brisbane – Holt Street Wharf. Once you get to Moreton Island, the wrecks are a 25 minute walk along the beach or path from the ferry wharf.
Guests of the resort can also bring their 4wd across on the Micat Vehicle Barge which arrives at the near the wrecks.
You can also hire a 4wd on Moreton Island, and it is a 5 minute drive from the resort to the Tangalooma Wrecks.
Where & How do you get in?
We caught the ferry across for the day and got to the wrecks ourselves which meant entry straight off the beach. Depending on the tide/currents you might want to enter the water at one of the wrecks or the other so you can swim with the movement of the water.
If you are a guest of the island there are guided snorkels to the wrecks where a boat will drop you out there.
Best Season
We caught the ferry across for the day and got to the wrecks ourselves which meant entry straight off the beach. Depending on the tide/currents you might want to enter the water at one of the wrecks or the other so you can swim with the movement of the water.
If you are a guest of the island there are guided snorkels to the wrecks where a boat will drop you out there.
Potential Hazards
- Strong Currents
Recommended Gear
- Gear Hire is available on the beach near the wrecks
How Busy / Crowds
- This can be a busy place in summer on weekends and school holidays. But it is quite a large site so you should still have fun if that is the only time you can go.
Parking
- Parking is available for a fee at the Brisbane Ferry Terminal
Costs / Permits
If you are planning to stay on the island can take the passenger ferry over to Tangalooma Resort – $88 per adult and $48 per child.
Day Trips start from $95 per adult and $55 per child but you can add on various tours to this cost on the island.
As confident snorkellers we booked the Day Cruise and opted to snorkel independently. Snorkelling tours are available for an additional cost.
The information for each snorkel spot is provided by people who have snorkelled there. However, snorkelling conditions change daily. Please be aware that wind, swell, tides and cloud cover can all affect visibility and your experience in the water.
Disclosure: Please Note That Some Links In This Post May Be Affiliate Links, And At No Additional Cost To You, We Earn A Small Commission If You Make A Purchase. Commissions Go Toward Maintaining The Snorkel Spots Website.
Rate this Snorkel Spot
If you have snorkelled here, rate your experience
Tangalooma Wrecks Tours
Best Conditions
Aim to snorkel 30-45 minutes either side of the change of tide for fewest currents. At very low tide some parts of the wrecks cannot be snorkelled over.
Be aware that if the tide is going out and there is a moderate or worse southerly breeze or the tide is coming in and there is a moderate or worse northerly wind there can be strong currents running between the beach and the wrecks.
We are strong swimmers but found it tough getting out there the day we visited. Days with a light or easterly breeze and less tidal movement will offer the best conditions.
Windy Map Instructions – Click on the wind icon in the top right to see other conditions such as swell, temperature, rain. To clear the four day forecast click and close the wind icon.
Facilities at Tangalooma Resort
Resort facilities are available for visitors staying in Tangalooma accommodation and for Tangalooma day tours.
Toilets
Picnic Tables
Parking
BBQ’s
Shade
Food & Drinks
Accommodation
About the Snorkel
When you are travelling, you don’t necessarily have the option of waiting for an ideal day to go snorkelling somewhere. That was the case for us on the Tangalooma Wrecks. Yes, we would have loved a still, sunny day on a small tide but instead, the way our trip lined up, we got almost the opposite!
But despite the southerly breeze combining with the outgoing tide to produce a strong current and the threat of rain, we still managed to have an excellent, albeit challenging, snorkel here. Getting to the wrecks was the hard part. The swift left to right current made swimming to them hard work but once we made it across, there were enough sheltered spots to enjoy some amazing snorkelling.
The current was too strong to easily swim around outside the wrecks but where you could go into the hulls of the barges, the water was calm and there were a huge number and variety of fish.
We snorkelled through enormous schools of little sweep and Indo-pacific sergeants. We saw lots of brilliant black and yellow stripeys, beautiful copper band and oval butterfly fish, pretty Moorish idols and several wrasse and parrot fish.
As we snorkelled between the wrecks schools of long toms cruised past just below the surface. We also spotted large schools of fish hiding away deeper in the wrecks but they were too hard to get to with the currents.
People staying at the resort had an easier time with boats dropping them off and picking them up at either end of the snorkel which is a good option if you have longer on the island and need a hand getting out to the barges.
We could have spent hours looking around the barges but the current swept us along too quickly to just float in the water. Don’t be put off! We had some crazy weather, normally this would be a relaxing snorkel. We managed to go around a couple of times before the storms came in. We can’t wait to come back and try again.
Snorkel Spots Nearby
More Things To Do
- Swimming with Turtles in Australia - October 29, 2023
