Wreck Dive, St Elmos Bay, Valletta, Malta
The HMS Māori was a 1870-ton Tribal Class Destroyer built in Govan, England in 1937.
She primarily took part in escort missions, protecting the cargo ships and convoys during WWII. Up until 1940 she patrolled the North sea, and took part in the Norwegian campaign, before sailing to Iceland looking for German warships. In 1941, she was directly involved in the hunting and eventual sinking of the German flagship Bismarck, and then rescued some survivors from the sinking ship.
On February 12th, 1942, she was moored at the entrance to Dockyard Creek, in the Grand Harbour of Valletta, when a parachute flare dropped by an enemy aircraft became trapped in her foremast. Soon after, the illuminated destroyer received a direct hit in her engine room, with the loss of one of her crew. She was quickly abandoned and thereafter her AFT magazine exploded.
The HMS Moari sank stern-first, causing the bow to rise, and slowly filled with water to the point of sinking and blocking the entrance of Dockyard Creek. Her two forward guns were removed and re-mounted at Fort Ricasoli as shore battery guns during the Second World War. In 1945, in order to re-open the berth, she was cut into two sections. The bow was floated and towed to St Elmos Bay, where she now rests. Her aft section was unfortunately abandoned during the tow and is lost in deeper water.
During the years the wreck has taken some hard hits from the weather. A storm in early 2019 has caused tremendous damage to the wreck, and subsequent rough seas have caused the wreck to collapse further. In 2025, a large side panel fell from the ship, allowing excellent views inside without the need for penetration (which is largely considered unsafe due to the fragility of the wreck).
The wreck lies on a sandy bottom with a maximum depth of 15m. The shallowest section reaches 8m.
The Bridge
The bridge sits proudly on the top of the wreck and allows divers the opportunity to see loads of marine life and underwater fauna. If you are into photography, make sure you spend some time here.
The Gun Turrets
Although the large cannons were removed, their bases remain as large (~3m diameter) cylindrical structures. Defined cogs can be observed around the outside which were used to rotate and aim the cannons, and the more intact of the two can actually be swum underneath.
The Filmography equipment
The crew or the Māori included filmographers, making propaganda to show the war efforts. The equipment was sunk along with the ship, and can still be found on the wreck as a mass of wires and electrical equipment. Most striking is the bundle of film ribbon, which at first glance looks like sea grass, but on closer inspection, the small perfectly-formed square perforations can be found aligning the edges.
Aquatic life
Due to the wreck being in shallow waters, there is an abundance of marine life to look out for. The sandy white bottom is the perfect place to find cuttlefish, flying gurnards, flat fish, and stingrays. If you are extremely lucky, the occasional sea horse can even be found here.
Nudibranchs and moray eels can be found on the wreck itself. The wreck is covered with green weed and tube worms, shoals of salema fish, sea breams and cardinal fish swimming around the upper structure, the many cracks and crevasses offering sanctuary to octopuses, scorpion fish and hermit crabs.
Experience Needed
You must be certified to dive to a depth of 12 meters to dive this site, as such we would require a minimum of Scuba Diver certification. Open Water diver is recommended to be able to explore fully around the bottom of the wreck, and to be able to more thoroughly explore the marine life on the sand.
DIVE SITE SPECIFICATION: HMS Maori
- Location: Valletta, Malta
- Type Of Dive: Shore Dive
- Max Depth: 15m
- Minimum Certification: PADI Scuba Diver
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Recommended Certification: PADI Open Water Diver