Tangalooma Wrecks (Moreton Island)

The Tangalooma Wrecks are a line of old ships scuttled off the western beach of Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) to form a sheltered anchorage, and they are now one of the bay's best-known snorkelling sites. The beach beside them has clear water, white sand and a sloping drop-off, which brings bream, whiting, tailor, squid and trevally within casting range. It is a long way to come just to fish, but the camping, the snorkelling and the sunsets make it an easy sell. The wrecks themselves attract a lot of fish, and an equal number of people in snorkels looking at them.

Fish the beach either side of the wrecks rather than toward them, because snorkellers and moored boats use the area around the hulls. Whiting and dart take beach worms, pipis or yabbies on a light running sinker cast into the shallow gutters on the rising tide. Bream feed along the drop-off at dawn, dusk and after dark, taking prawns or mullet strips. Squid hunt the weed and rubble patches in the cooler months, and tailor and trevally chase bait along the beach at first and last light, so keep a metal slug handy.

Bream are the most reliable catch, particularly in winter. Whiting and dart feed in the shallows, trevally move through in the warmer months, and tailor and squid are best in the cooler months. Flathead are on the sand edges year-round. Bream 25 cm (possession limit 30, combined with tarwhine), whiting 23 cm (30), tailor 35 cm (20), swallowtail dart 30 cm (30), trevally no size limit (20 combined), dusky flathead 40–75 cm (5), tiger squid 20.

The beach is in the Moreton Bay Marine Park's habitat protection zone, where standard Queensland limits apply: up to 3 lines and 6 hooks in total per person. The water off the wrecks is also a go-slow area for boats. Never cast near snorkellers or swimmers, and keep well clear of the wrecks when people are in the water. Bivalves and gastropods other than pipis (oysters, mussels, whelks and the like) are no take in Moreton Bay Marine Park and the tidal waters that flow into it. Pack out your fish scraps; the local wildlife has opinions about bait buckets.

Moreton Island is reached by passenger ferry to Tangalooma or by vehicle barge from Brisbane. The wrecks are a short walk north along the beach from the resort, or a short drive from the barge landing. A vehicle access permit is needed to drive on Moreton Island, and camping at The Wrecks camping area needs a camping permit.

The beach faces west across the bay, so easterly winds blow offshore and leave the water flat and clear. A strong westerly or north-westerly brings chop and makes the beach and wrecks messy. The clear water means fishing is best at dawn, dusk and after dark, or when the wind has put a bit of colour in the water.

Snorkellers, swimmers and boats are common around the wrecks, so be careful where you cast. Currents around the wrecks can be strong. Bring water, sun protection and food, as facilities are limited away from the resort. Watch for vehicles on the beach.

Yes, from the beach either side of the wrecks. The area is a habitat protection zone, so standard Queensland line limits apply. Keep well clear of snorkellers and swimmers.

Yellowfin bream, sand whiting, tailor, squid, dart, trevally and flathead.

By passenger ferry to Tangalooma or by vehicle barge from Brisbane. A vehicle access permit is needed to drive on Moreton Island.