HMS Maori

HMS Maori was a Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer launched in 1937. She was sunk at her moorings in Grand Harbour during a German air raid in February 1942. When she was raised in 1945 and towed out, the stern broke off, and the forward section was scuttled in St Elmo Bay, just below Fort St Elmo in Valletta.

What remains is about 42 metres of the bow section, sitting almost upright and half buried in sand at around 14 to 16 metres, with the top at about 9 metres. You can still see gun mountings, anchor chain and bollards, and the open sections host shoals of fish, octopus, cuttlefish and moray eels.

It is a shore dive, entered down steps near the bars, with a swim of about 120 metres to the wreck. Visibility in the harbour can be poor, the metal edges are sharp and silt stirs easily. Carry a surface marker for boat traffic.