Diving Maui - Carthaginian II

The Carthaginian II, once utilized as a whaling museum, is a reproduction of a 19th century brig analogous to the ships that initially delivered trade to the Hawaiian Islands. This ship was a cement carrier constructed in Germany in 1920 and renamed the Carthaginian II. It sailed to Lahaina in 1973 where it took seven years for the historically correct 18th century whaling ship rigging to be assembled. The ship served as a reminder of Lahaina's seafaring heritage and was docked for many years at Lahaina Harbor. The ship was owned by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation that operated the museum on board which displayed relics of Lahaina's historic whaling days. 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. Atlantis spent roughly $350,000 on the Carthaginian shipwreck project, counting preparation of environmental research. American Marine Services was employed to conduct the sinking 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 arrange for the sinking, 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 from the harbor before transferring the operation to the larger American Islander tugboat. A fleet of around 20 boats watched the Carthaginian II as it arrived at Puamana along with numerous spectators lining the shore. A blessing was given in Hawaiian and a three ton anchor was secured to the bow section and seawater started to be pumped into the ship. Twenty seven minutes later the vessel sank to the bottom amidst applause from the spectators and the blasts of three tiny brass cannons. The Dive The shipwreck lies in roughly ninety feet of water off the coast of Lahina and is a great site for underwater photography. It is approximately a 10 to fifteen minute excursion from the harbor to the scuba diving site. The ship was reefed about seven years before and at this time supports a wide mix of marine life. As soon as you begin to descend from the mooring ball you will normally be able to spot the outline of the shipwreck quite easily. The visibility at this dive site is regularly 80+ feet and a great deal of the time over 100+ feet. There can be some current on the site so a few scuba divers may desire to descend using the mooring line. As you descend you should start to perceive additional particulars regarding the vessel along with the impacts of being upon the reef for approximately 7 years. The main mast fell around mid-summer 2011 and will at this time be seen resting on the deck. The main cabin roof and walls have begun to decay to a certain degree and there are numerous openings into the hold. The entrance to the hold itself is very large and readily manageable. The engine room and forward compartment is blocked by means of a gate but you will still get a respectable mix of photographs from this area. 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 happen to be moving about the shipwreck. There are a number of frogfish on the wreck. I was able to photograph 5 different frogfish on my last dive. These fish are particularly well positioned for macro photography and can consume a lot of bottom time, however it is definitely worth the effort. Two frogfish were upon the main deck to the rear of the main cabin and 3 were on the starboard side about the midships area. While scuba diving on the shipwreck, you will also find a ample mix of fish such as, Pacific Trumpetfish, Sergeant Majors, Dascyllus, Orangespine Unicornfish, Rainbow Cleaner Wrasse, and much more. This wreck dive is best when there are fewer than ten divers in the water since the vessel itself is not very big. It is a very worthwhile dive and I highly recommend As in all dives I recommend going slowly and take time to appreciate the site. Read other dive site reviews on my blog and see other underwater photographs on my website and follow me on Twitter @ images2inspire. The pool is open…