Wreck Diving Maui

On December 13, 2005, following two years of preparation, Atlantis Adventures sank the Carthaginian off Lahaina, Maui, creating an artificial reef that will have lasting marine life benefits. The reefing took place off Puamana which is just outside the Lahaina harbor. The 97-foot, steel-hulled vessel, sank in 95 feet of water where it will serve as an artificial reef. The Carthaginian II, once used as a whaling museum, is a replica of a 19th century brig analogous to the ships that initially delivered commerce to the Hawaiian Islands. This ship was a cement carrier built in Germany in 1920 and rechristened the Carthaginian II. It sailed to Lahaina in 1973 where it took seven years for the historically accurate 18th century whaling ship rigging to be assembled. The ship functioned as a reminder of Lahaina's seafaring heritage and was docked for numerous years at Lahaina Harbor. The ship was owned by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation which operated the museum on board which displayed relics of Lahaina's historic whaling days.

Atlantis spent roughly $350,000 on the Carthaginian shipwreck project, including preparation of environmental research. American Marine Services was hired to handle the reefing operation. Before the Carthaginian II was towed from Lahaina Harbor, entertainers from the Old Lahaina Lu'au performed "Aloha" ; and members of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation placed lei on the vessel and held signs bidding it aloha. To prepare for the reefing, 10 tons of concrete had been loaded on board, adding to the 35 tons of material the ship already was carrying. Atlantis' small tugboat Roxie pulled the Carthaginian II out of the harbor before transferring the operation to the bigger American Islander tugboat. A fleet of about twenty boats watched the Carthaginian II as it arrived at Puamana along with many spectators lining the seashore. A blessing was given in Hawaiian and a 3 ton anchor was secured to the bow and seawater started to be pumped into the ship. Twenty seven minutes afterward the vessel sank to the bottom amidst applause from the audience and the blasts of three tiny brass cannons.

Dive Overview

The shipwreck lies in about ninety feet of water off the coast of Lahina and makes a good spot for underwater photography. It is about a 10 to fifteen minute trip from the harbor to the scuba diving site. The ship was sunk approximately seven years before and at this time supports a wide variety of marine life. As soon as you start to descend from the mooring ball you will ordinarily be able to spot the outline of the shipwreck rather easily. The visibility at this dive site is typically 80+ feet and much of the time over 100+ feet.

There might be some current on the site so a few divers may desire to descend by means of the mooring line. As you descend you should start to notice additional particulars regarding the shipwreck along with the impacts of being upon the reef for roughly 7 years. The main mast fell in mid-summer 2011 and will at this time be seen resting upon the main deck. The main cabin roof and walls have deteriorated to some level and there are several openings into the hold. The access to the cargo hold itself is very large and easily accessible. The engine room along with the forward compartment is blocked by means of a gate however you may still get a good mix of photographs from this section. The rear section of the cargo hold is fairly clear and at the present time will contain a variety of fish species or crustaceans as they are moving around the ship. There are a number of frogfish on the wreck. Smeltzer was able to photograph 5 different frogfish on his last dive. These fish are particularly well positioned for macro photographs and may consume a lot of bottom time, but it is well worth the effort. Two frogfish were upon the main deck to the back of the main cabin and 3 were on the starboard side about the midships area. it for your next visit to Maui.

View other underwater photography images by Steven Smeltzer on his website or visit his blog or follow him on Twitter @ images2inspire. The pool is open...

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