HMS Maori Wreck Shore Dive

The HMS Maori wreck dive is a shallow shore dive in St Elmo Bay at the tip of the Valletta peninsula, Malta. HMS Maori was a Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer that was bombed by German aircraft in Grand Harbour in February 1942 during the siege of Malta. After the war the hull was raised and the stern was towed away and scuttled, but the forepart remained in the harbour and was later moved to its present position. Today the bow section sits upright on a sandy seabed at about 16 m, and it is one of the most accessible wartime wrecks on the island because it lies close to the shore and in modest depth.

The dive suits certified divers with Open Water qualification or equivalent. Penetration of the wreck is not needed to enjoy it, and the structure can be explored from outside, where the plating, deck features and openings are covered in marine growth and shelter fish such as damselfish, wrasse and sometimes scorpionfish and octopus. The depth is within Open Water limits, but divers should be comfortable with a shore entry over rock, buoyancy control above a sandy bottom, and the possibility of reduced visibility if silt is disturbed. Age limits follow the diving agency in use, and junior divers must stay within their certified depth. Divers need a DSMB because boat traffic passes through the harbour mouth, and a torch is recommended for looking inside the structure and under overhangs. Full kit can usually be rented from dive centres in Valletta and nearby towns.

Safety arrangements are usually covered in a briefing by a dive centre or in the buddy plan for independent divers. The briefing covers the entry point, the line to the wreck, the maximum depth, turnaround pressure and the surfacing procedure. The emergency number in Malta is 112, and the island has a hyperbaric chamber for decompression incidents. The best conditions run from April to November, when the water is warm and visibility is generally good. Strong winds from the north and north-east make entry and exit more difficult, and divers should avoid the site in heavy swell or in poor visibility after storms. Mornings usually offer calmer water and fewer boats in the harbour approach.