Hurricane Wreck is a fascinating historic shipwreck dive located on the sandy seabed just off the coast near Rosebud in Port Phillip Bay, south-west of Melbourne. This site is a favourite among local wreck divers due to its combination of accessible depth, intriguing history and the marine life now colonising the remains.

The Hurricane was a three-masted iron clipper, built in Glasgow in 1853 and weighing about 1,198 tons with a length of approximately 65 metres. On its final voyage in 1869, the ship took on water after entering Port Phillip Heads and attempted to anchor in Capel Sound to pump out the flooding. Before it could, the hull flooded and the vessel sank to the seabed. Thankfully, all 19 passengers and 27 crew survived the incident.

Today, thewreck lies in shallow water of around 8–12 metres — making it an ideal introduction to wreck diving for Open Water-certified divers. While much of the structure has been salvaged over time and storms have fragmented sections, key features of the iron hull and two of its three masts remain visible.

Over the decades since its rediscovery by divers in the early 1970s, the Hurricane’s iron remains have become an artificial reef, providing hard surfaces for invertebrates and sponges to grow and shelter for fish. It’s common to see a variety of temperate species such as morwong, ping perch, moonlighters and other bay fish weaving among the wreckage.

Because the site sits in Port Phillip Bay where tidal flows and conditions can change rapidly, most visits are conducted from a boat, and planning dives around slack water improves safety and visibility