Albany · Australia · Wreck · Artificial reef
Cheynes III (Wreck)
A 47.9 m whale chaser sunk as an artificial reef, deepest point 23 m
Photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cheynes III is a 47.9 m whale chaser scuttled as an artificial reef in 1982, lying off the western side of Michaelmas Island in King George Sound. Her deepest point is 23 m and visibility averages 10-15 m. She is sheltered enough to dive in most weather, with south to south-west winds the exception.
Where it is and how deep
35.0465° S, 118.0279° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a compact wreck: at 47.9 m long, one dive covers her end to end with time left to go back over anything worth a second look. The deepest point is 23 m, so the profile is simple - drop onto the hull, work the deep end while the gas is fresh, then spend the back half of the dive over the shallower structure and finish with an unhurried ascent.
Ten to fifteen metres of visibility is enough to read the shape of a whale chaser rather than a section at a time, and at 47.9 m she is small enough to take in on one dive. She has been on the bottom off the western side of Michaelmas Island since 1982, and the island shelters her well enough that she dives in most weather - south to south-west winds are the exception that takes her off the list.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Cheynes III
- Type
- Whale chaser
- Length
- 47.9 m (157 ft)
- Sunk
- 1982
- Cause
- Scuttled in 1982 as an artificial reef
- Lies
- Off the western side of Michaelmas Island, deepest point 23 m
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Albany: Charters run year-round; December to March is the dry, warm half of the year, June to August the wet half with July the wettest month, and the whales are in the Sound July to October.
Know before you go
- South to south-west winds put swell onto the site; it dives well in most other weather, so check the forecast and the operator before committing to the day.
Photos from Cheynes III (Wreck)
Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Cheynes III?+
The deepest part of the wreck is 23 m and she is 47.9 m long, so the whole vessel is within reach on a single dive.
When can you dive the Cheynes III?+
She is dived in most weather. South to south-west winds are the exception, and on those days the site is usually off the list.
Sources
- Cheynes III (Wreck) (Scubago) — Scubago
- Michaelmas Island — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- Encrusted steel hull plating of the Cheynes III wreck lying on the seabed off Michaelmas Island by Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A diver hovering beside the encrusted framework of the Cheynes III wreck by Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A school of small fish schooling in the blue water around part of the Cheynes III wreck by Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A striped western crested morwong fish swimming over encrusted reef growth at the wreck by Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
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