Liveaboard diving in
HMS Maori
Must see
Wreck
HMS Maori, a tribal class destroyer built in England, was launched in 1937 and commissioned in the end of 1938. She joined HMS Cossack’s division in January 1939, and was the last Tribal to go to war in the Mediterranean. In 1942 near Malta she was hit by a German aircraft. In 1945 it was finally scuttled outside the Grand Harbour, and is now lying inside Marsamxetto Harbour. Unfortunately, during the procedure of towing the ship broke in two parts, leaving the bow section in white sand at a depth of 14m/46ft (only this section is diveable now); the rest of the ship was dropped in deep water. The sides of the wreck are well rusted through, so penetration is not advised, also the wreck has very sharp edges, so divers should always be careful. Most of the bridge and superstructure are still intact, including the two front gun bases.
When To Go Diving
Diving is possible all year round, though the best time is from May to November. The average air temperature is 16C/60F in January and 32C/89F in August. The average water temperature ranges from 14-25C/58-77F.
What to see
The wreck offers an abundance of marine life where numerous moray eels, wrasses, scorpion fish, flatfish, stonefish, sea bream and octopus can be seen, as well as nudibranchs and fireworms.