Editing SS Yongala (section)

==Wreck site==
[[File:Stegostoma fasciatum with Echeneis naucrates and juvenile Gnathanodon speciosus.jpg|thumb|Fish next to ''Yongala''{{'}}s wreck: a [[zebra shark]], ''Stegostoma tigrinum'', attended by a [[live sharksucker]], ''Echeneis naucrates'', and three juvenile [[golden trevally]] ''Gnathanodon speciosus''.]]
''Yongala''{{'}}s wreck is at position {{coord|19|18|15.9|S|147|37|31.6|E|type:landmark_region:AU|display=inline,title}},<ref name=Database/> in the central section of the [[Great Barrier Reef Marine Park]], about {{convert|48|nmi|km}} southeast of Townsville and {{convert|12|nmi|km}} east of Cape Bowling Green. The wreck is {{convert|109|m}} long. The bow points on a northerly bearing of 347 degrees, and lists to starboard at an angle of between 60 and 70 degrees. It retains its structural integrity. The depth of water to the sea floor is about {{convert|30|m}}, with the upper parts of the wreck {{convert|16|m}} below the surface.

The sea floor around the wreck is open and sandy, so the wreck has become an established [[artificial reef]], providing a structurally complex [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]] for diverse marine life. In 1981 the [[marine biologist]] Leon Zann sketched the wreck. Its [[superstructure]] remains intact and much as in his sketch, but a significant buildup of sand around the [[starboard]] side of the vessel has been scoured away, and the ventilators and railings have collapsed.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The wreck is protected by the Commonwealth Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 and is managed via the [[Museum of Tropical Queensland]], Townsville. The Act prohibits [[penetration diving]] and interference with [[Artifact (archaeology)|artefact]]s.

[[File:SS Yongala wreck.jpg|right|thumb|A [[buoy]] marking ''Yongala''{{'}}s wreck]]
A protected zone encompasses both the wreck, all the seabed within a radius of {{convert|797|m|abbr=off}} from the wreck, and the waters above. Access to the site is via permit only, obtainable from the Maritime Archaeology Section of the Museum of Tropical Queensland.<ref name=Database/> In 2002, to prevent further damage by careless anchoring, several [[Mooring (watercraft)|moorings]] were installed, and anchoring within the protected zone was forbidden. The site was also listed on the now-defunct [[Register of the National Estate]].<ref>{{cite AHD |14835 |SS Yongala Shipwreck, Cape Bowling Green via Ayr, QLD, Australia |date=28 September 1982 |access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref>