MV Andrew Wilson Sunk as South Australia’s Newest Dive Reef

South Australia has scuttled the former dredger MV Andrew Wilson approximately six kilometres off Brighton, creating the state’s first deliberately sunk vessel reef in more than two decades.

The 40-metre grab hopper dredger was sent to the sandy seabed on September 7, 2026. Project planners intended the vessel to settle upright in water about 20 metres deep, positioning it as a future recreational dive attraction as well as new hard substrate for marine life. The government says, however, that the site must pass a final safety inspection before it opens to the public.

Preparation converted several parts of the vessel into planned swim-through areas, including the engine room, galley and bridge. Hazardous materials were removed, access openings were enlarged or added, and the ship underwent a deep clean overseen by environmental regulators and an independent specialist. Secondary coverage reports that the preparation required more than 2,500 hours of work.

The deployment forms part of the joint Australian and South Australian governments’ A$165 million response to the state’s harmful algal bloom. Officials expect the steel structure to provide habitat and support marine recovery, although its ecological performance will need to be demonstrated through post-deployment monitoring rather than assumed from the sinking alone.

Fishing will be prohibited within 200 metres of the vessel for 12 months. The temporary exclusion is intended to allow the reef community to establish and will also affect how boats and divers use the area during its first year.

The Andrew Wilson was built in 1962 and spent decades supporting dredging and marine work in South Australia. Its service history included work associated with earlier reef construction and the salvage response after the 2000 Whyalla Airlines Flight 904 disaster.

For divers, the deployment is a major milestone, but it is not yet an invitation to visit. The official post-sinking inspection still needs to confirm the wreck’s actual orientation, stability, clearances and condition. Coordinates, mooring arrangements, access rules and the opening date should all be verified through South Australian authorities before operators schedule trips. Once cleared, the site’s approximately 20-metre seabed depth could place much of the wreck within recreational limits, but the precise shallowest point has not yet been published.