Yongala Stern

The stern is the domain of the Yongala's most iconic residents: enormous Queensland grouper and the sinuous olive sea snakes that ghost through the water column in search of prey. Gropers here have grown to exceptional size over decades of protection, with some individuals approaching two metres in length and entirely unafraid of divers. Sea snakes weave through the prop shaft and rudder structures in a mesmerising slow dance, their lungs requiring them to surface every 30 minutes in a behaviour that becomes predictable and fascinating to watch.