A
huge array of vessels can be found in the waters that surround Australia, but this article focuses on one particular group - the decommissioned ex-HMAS warships. Each mainland state has at least one of these intentionally sunk navy vessels, with WA and Queensland boosting two each. The first to be prepared and sunk for life as an artificial reef was the HMAS Swann in WA back in 1997. The most-recent addition is the HMAS Tobruk, which was scuttled off the coast of Bundaberg, Queensland, in 2018. There are a variety of ship types, including Guided Missile Destroyers, Destroyer Escorts, Frigates and a Heavy Landing Ship. The one thing they all have in common is that they have been well prepared and carefully considered artificial reefs. They have soon become outstanding dive sites, with significant amounts of marine life now calling these impressive wrecks home.
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