The MV Andrew Wilson is Adelaide's newest dive wreck, scuttled on 7 September 2026 about 6 km off Brighton, where she now rests upright on a sandy seabed in 20 m. She is a 40 m grab hopper dredger built in 1962 that spent more than six decades working in South Australian waters: dredging ports and channels, helping install earlier artificial reefs, and assisting in the salvage operation after the Whyalla Airlines crash in 2000. Her sinking is part of the state and federal response to the harmful algal bloom that affected Gulf St Vincent and the Fleurieu in 2025.

Alongside native oyster reef construction and seagrass restoration, the wreck is intended to provide hard habitat for fish and invertebrates to recolonise. A 200 m zone around the vessel is closed to recreational and commercial fishing for 12 months to allow fish stocks such as snapper, flathead and King George whiting to build up. The government has said the depth makes the site suitable for divers with an entry-level qualification, and that divers will be able to explore the engine room, galley and bridge.

That suggests the vessel was prepared with diver access in mind, but anyone entering should still do so only within their training: fresh wrecks can have loose fittings, and silt settles quickly inside. In its first years the Andrew Wilson will be a clean steel wreck with growth just beginning, giving divers a rare chance to watch an artificial reef develop from bare metal. For Adelaide, it adds a second major wreck close to town alongside the Glenelg Dredge and Barge, spreading diver traffic and giving local shops a new flagship.

Expect it to become one of the metro coast's most popular boat dives once opened.

Boat access only. Launch at the West Beach or Glenelg (Holdfast Shores) ramps, or O'Sullivan Beach ramp to the south, and run about 6 km offshore from Brighton – roughly 15-20 minutes. At the time of writing the wreck had only just been scuttled and was awaiting a final safety inspection before opening to recreational divers; check the SA Department for Infrastructure and Transport or local dive shops for opening status, any moorings installed and the official GPS position before going.

Like the rest of the metro coast, these sites face west into Gulf St Vincent and are best in offshore easterly winds, which are most common on summer and autumn mornings and on clear winter days. Westerly and south-westerly winds build chop quickly and make anchoring and recovery uncomfortable; the summer south-westerly sea breeze typically arrives late morning to early afternoon. Tidal streams in the gulf are modest but noticeable offshore on spring tides; neap 'dodge tide' days, when the water barely moves, give the easiest diving.

Visibility is usually better than at Glenelg because there is less river and stormwater influence, but drops after strong westerlies. Being further offshore, the deeper sites need a genuinely calm forecast.

Descend the shot or any installed mooring to the deck, circuit the hull at the sand (20 m), then rise to deck level to look at the bridge, galley and engine room openings. Only penetrate within the limits of training. Return to the line for a safety stop.

Air or EANx 32. Penetration only with wreck training and a guideline.

Not yet opened at time of writing (September 2026). Adelaide Scuba (Glenelg North) and other Adelaide boat operators are expected to add it to their metro wreck trips once open; private boats from West Beach and O'Sullivan Beach.