Carthaginian II Shipwreck 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, previously utilized as a whaling museum, is a copy of a 19th century brig analogous to the ships that originally introduced trade to the Hawaiian Islands. The vessel was a cement carrier built in Germany in the 1920's and renamed 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.
Even though it had no real historical worth, the Carthaginian II was one of Lahaina's most identifiable points of interest, featured in thousands of artworks and visitor pictures for over thirty years. The vessel belonged to the nonprofit Lahaina Restoration Foundation, which was spending $50,000 a year to preserve the decaying hulk. When marine engineers advised against further repairs on account of the increasing costs, Atlantis was approached to claim the vessel and use it as an artificial reef that would in turn improve the existing Atlantis submarine tours in Lahaina.The first Carthaginian was a replica of a whaling supply ship used for the 1966 film "Hawaii",; based on the James Michener novel. The Lahaina Restoration Foundation bought the wooden boat, but it sank in 1972 on its way to O'ahu for dry dock. The German ship was acquired and was rechristened the Carthaginian II and after extensive work functioned as a floating museum for many years.
A flotilla of approximately 20 boats was waiting when the Carthaginian II arrived at Puamana, while spectators lined the beach or pulled over on the Honoapi'ilani Highway to observe the show. Kahu Charles Kaupu offered a Hawaiian blessing, and after a 3-ton anchor was secured to the bow and the boat was in position, patches were detached from two sets of holes that had been cut into the hull about 18 inches above the water line. Seawater was pumped into the ship, and twenty seven minutes later the Carthaginian was headed toward the sandy bottom and a new wreck was born. Viewers let loose with applause and whoops of appreciation as the vessel quietly slipped beneath the surface. Aboard the Atlantis shuttle boat three air-shattering blasts were fired from small brass cannon to celebrate the occasion.
Overview of the Dive
The shipwreck rests in about 90 feet of water off the coast of Lahina and makes a great spot for underwater photography. It is about a 10 to fifteen minute trip from the harbor to the dive site. The ship was sunk about seven years ago and now supports a broad mix of marine life. As soon as you start to descend from the mooring ball you should usually be able to see the outline of the wreck rather easily. The visibility at this dive site is more often than not 80+ feet and a great deal of the time over 100+ feet.
The main mast collapsed in mid-summer 2011 and will now be viewed sitting upon the deck. The main cabin roof and walls have begun to decay to some level and there are copious holes into the hold. The access to the hold itself is very large and easily accessible. The engine room and forward compartment is blocked by a gate but you may still get a good variety of pictures in this vicinity. There are several frogfish upon the shipwreck. Smeltzer was able to photograph five different frogfish on my most recent dive. These fish are very well placed for macro photography and can consume a lot of bottom time, but it is definitely worth the effort.
While scuba diving on the wreck, you can also discover a wide mix of fish including, Pacific Trumpetfish, Sergeant Majors, Dascyllus, Orangespine Unicornfish, Rainbow Cleaner Wrasse, and many more. This shipwreck dive is best when there are fewer than 10 scuba divers in the water because the vessel itself is not very big. It makes a very worthwhile dive and I highly recommend
