17th August 2017

Diving at the Molte Wreck; A Quick Scuba Fix

Diving at the Molte Wreck; A Quick Scuba Fix

Need to get your scuba fix but the boats are full this weekend? Don’t worry, you can still go scuba diving without having to get on a boat; at the Moltke Wreck off Magnetic Island!

The Moltke was a three-masted barque built in Hamburg, Germany in 1870. The vessel was wrecked off the coast of northern Queensland, Australia in 1890 before being refloated and hulked. In 1911 the vessel was scuttled off Geoffrey Bay, Magnetic Island. The wreck of the vessel now hosts a wide range of underwater life and is a popular open-water dive site. (Wikipedia, 2018)

The easiest way to get to the Moltke Wreck is via the boat ramp off Armand Way (where the rock wallabies gather). Put on all your gear and simply walk off the ramp into the water and away from the shore (BCDs fully inflated!) and put your flippers on when you’re floating in the sea.

You will see a buoy about 100 metres away from the shore which is approximately where the wreck is. The Moltke Wreck is about 8 metres deep and is one of the most popular dive sites on Magnetic Island. The wreck is approximately 50 metres long and is encrusted in both hard and soft corals. You will find large sweetlip, bat fish, tuskfish, barramundi cod and epaulet sharks swimming around the wreck. The Molke Wreck is best visited during a high tide in calm conditions and is an excellent night dive.

If you need to hire scuba gear, Pleasure Divers is just around the corner from the boat ramp. They do full gear hire for $70 a day and tank refills for $10. A quick, easy and cheap solution if you are looking for a scuba fix. However, the best experience is still out on the Great Barrier Reef!