Wreck Beach is a remote-feeling bay on the far side of Great Keppel Island, and its fringing reef is best known for a single enormous brain coral, around 2 m high and estimated to be about 420 years old. The coral predates European settlement of Australia and is a striking example of how long individual colonies can survive in these inshore waters. The rest of the reef is a shallow fringing system sloping from the beach to 8-12 m, with plate and branching corals, giant clams and a busy population of reef fish.

Spotted rays and blue-spotted stingrays rest on the sand, wobbegongs shelter under coral overhangs, and turtles and even dolphins are reported in the bay. The site suits new divers and snorkellers well: it is shallow, easy to navigate and usually calm when the wind is southerly. Because walking access is long and hilly, most divers visit by boat with the island's dive operator, while snorkellers sometimes make the trek.

There is no shipwreck to dive here despite the name. What makes it worthwhile is the sense of remoteness, the healthy shallow reef and the chance to see one of the oldest known corals in Keppel Bay. Other fringing-reef bays around Great Keppel, such as Monkey Beach, Shelving Beach and Clam Bay, are closer to the resort area and more often visited, so Wreck Beach offers a quieter alternative with similar reef types.

The old brain coral lies in shallow water and is easily damaged by fins, so keep well above it and do not stand or rest on it; it is one of the oldest living things in Keppel Bay and a useful record of past floods and bleaching years for researchers.

Drive 40 km (about 40 minutes) from Rockhampton to Yeppoon, then 7 km south along the Scenic Highway to Keppel Bay Marina at Rosslyn Bay Harbour, where there is free and paid parking. Freedom Fast Cats and Keppel Konnections ferries run to Great Keppel Island (Fisherman's Beach) in about 30 minutes; Keppel Dive & Water Sports picks up certified divers from the island. Wreck Beach is on the far side of Great Keppel from Fisherman's Beach.

The dive operator reaches it in about 15-25 minutes by boat. It can also be reached on foot by the island's bushwalking track, but it is a long, hilly trek that is impractical with scuba gear – snorkellers who walk should carry water and allow several hours return.

Keppel Bay is exposed to the prevailing south-east trades (strongest April-September) and to summer northerlies. The beach is on the opposite side of the island from the main settlement; it is best in light winds or when the wind is from the south, giving shelter. Northerly and north-easterly winds make it choppy and reduce visibility.

Currents are usually slight. Visibility is typically 5-12 m.

Enter from the boat or beach, swim out over the reef flat to the reef edge at 4-6 m and follow it along the bay, dropping to 8-12 m at the base. Visit the giant brain coral, then return along the shallow edge and finish with a safety stop above the reef.

Keppel Dive & Water Sports (PADI 5 Star, based on the Spit at Great Keppel Island next to Great Keppel Island Hideaway) runs guided boat dives to the Keppel sites most days, weather permitting, plus courses and Discover Scuba; site choice is made on the day according to wind. Private boats from Rosslyn Bay also dive here. Wreck Beach is among the shore-style sites the operator reaches by boat transfer.