Private Tangalooma Wrecks Snorkelling Tour from Brisbane
Fifteen scuttled ships resting in clear, sheltered water, wrapped in coral and swarming with fish. You snorkel them with a marine-biologist captain, on your own boat, timed to the tide instead of a timetable.
What the Wrecks actually are
Between 1963 and 1984, fifteen retired vessels, dredges, barges and flatboats, were deliberately scuttled in a line off the western shore of Moreton Island to form a safe anchorage. The bay had other plans. Four decades on, the hulls have become one of Queensland's most remarkable artificial reefs: coral creeping over rusted steel, and more than 100 species of fish living in and around the wrecks.
Drop your face in the water and it's all there at once: schools of yellowtail flickering through the hulls, wrasse and butterflyfish working the coral, wobbegong sharks dozing in the shade of the plating, and, on a good day, a green sea turtle cruising past like it owns the place. Because it does.
Here's the part no ferry tour gives you: your captain is a marine biologist. Jeremy doesn't just anchor and hand you a mask. He tells you what you're about to see, why the wobbegong won't bother you, how a sunken dredge turns into a living reef, and which end of the line the turtles favour. You come up from the water knowing what you just swam through.
Private beats the crowd. Every time.
The resort day tours do a fine job of moving a lot of people to the wrecks at once. That's exactly the problem. You share the water with a boatload of strangers, you snorkel when the schedule says so, and you leave when the schedule says so, whether the turtle showed up or not.
On a private charter, the boat is yours. Jeremy plans your departure around slack tide, when the current eases and the water is clearest, not around a ferry timetable. You snorkel as long as you like, with quality gear included and fitted to you, and when you climb back aboard there is champagne and lunch waiting instead of a queue.
Weighing up a resort tour against a private charter? Compare the two properly.
Everything on board already
Snorkelling gear
Quality masks, snorkels and fins in a full range of sizes, fitted properly before you get in.
Wetsuits
On board for the cooler months, so the season never decides whether you swim.
Gourmet lunch
A French-style spread served on deck, not a sandwich in a paper bag.
Champagne
Chilled and poured after the swim, while the salt dries on your shoulders.
Photos of your day
Jeremy captures your group at the wrecks and on the water, and sends them after the trip.
Three ways to do the wrecks.
Every option is the same fully private 6-hour charter: whole boat, snorkelling at the wrecks, gourmet lunch and champagne included. The only variable is who's coming.
Midweek rates apply automatically to Monday to Thursday departures.
Before you dive in
Do I need snorkelling experience?
No. Most of our guests are first-timers or haven’t snorkelled in years. Jeremy fits your mask properly, gets you comfortable in shallow water first, and stays close the whole time. Noodles and flotation aids are on board, and you can watch the wrecks from the boat if you’d rather stay dry.
When is the best tide and time to snorkel the wrecks?
Slack tide, the still window between the tidal flows, when the current drops and visibility is at its best. Because your boat is private, Jeremy plans the whole day around that window for your date, rather than arriving whenever a timetable says. It’s the single biggest difference between a good snorkel and a great one.
Is it safe for kids?
Yes, with sensible supervision. The wrecks sit in calm, protected water on the sheltered side of Moreton Island, and Jeremy times the swim for the gentlest conditions. Kids’ gear and flotation aids are on board, and as a marine biologist he’s very good at turning a snorkel into the best science lesson of their year.
What happens if the weather turns?
The captain makes the call, always on the side of safety. If conditions aren’t right for the wrecks we’ll either reroute to the best sheltered water on the bay that day, or you choose a full refund or a free reschedule. You never lose your money to the weather.
How far are the Tangalooma Wrecks from Brisbane?
The wrecks lie just off the western side of Moreton Island, roughly 40 kilometres from Brisbane. From Manly Boat Harbour or New Farm it’s a scenic crossing of Moreton Bay, around 60 to 90 minutes depending on departure point and conditions, and dolphins often join the ride.
The wrecks are waiting.
From $1,290 midweek for two, the whole boat to yourselves. Gear, gourmet lunch and champagne included. A 5.0-star Google rating from guests who came back raving.