Under the Sea - snorkelling the Star of Greece shipwreck

The Star of Greece was a 3 masted ship built in Belfast in 1868.

On July 13th 1888, the ship laden with wheat was caught in a storm and met a tragic fate just a few hundred metres from the Port Willunga shore. Some 130 years later, the wreckage is visible on a clear day, submerged in just 4 metres of water. It has quickly become a hot spot for the curious divers wanting to explore the maritime wreckage and subsequent reef outcrop that came to be its final resting place.

Only 30 years prior, another ship also suffered a similar fate with the wreckage of the 175 tonne brig Ida running aground during a storm. The bow of the wreckage can be only be seen on the shore following severe storms that temporarily was away enough sand for the historical vessel to emerge 160 years later!

Guided snorkelling and diving tours for the Star of Greece wreckage run throughout the summer months, and stand up paddle boarders and sea kayakers can visit the site with ease on a calm day.

Now home to a variety of colourful fish and a thriving display of aquatic plant life, the wreckage site can be located at low tide with the mast visible above the water on a day with low winds and low swells.

Photo credit: Diving Adelaide