The SS Yongala has constantly been recognized as one of the best wreck dives in the world—and for good reason. There is simply too much life around this wreck. From schools of giant trevallies and barracudas, olive ridley sea turtles, nurse sharks, to Napoleon wrasses, the wreck is an oasis in the sandy desert that attracts visitors passing by. Its rusty surface and legendary past have become covered in dense soft corals, where hundreds of tiny fish now call home. Fish are so abundant here that a Napoleon wrasse can crash into a turtle if it doesn't pay attention to its surroundings. Giant trevallies are constantly hunting, treating the wreck as an endless buffet.
However, what truly caught my eye was a ribbon of pearly white dancing through the water—a curious olive sea snake. It swam directly toward my camera, "sniffed" around my wetsuit, and then returned to its routine patrol along the wreck. That was the moment I captured this image, showing the guardian and its colourful territory.
What a knight.
