Diving The Carthaginian Ii

The Carthaginian II, previously used as a whaling museum, is a replica of a 19th century brig comparable to the ships which initially introduced 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 Adventures sank the Carthaginian II outside of Lahaina Harbor in Maui on Dec 13, 2005, 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 approximately $350,000 on the Carthaginian shipwreck project, including preparation of environmental studies. American Marine Services was employed 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 sinking, 10 tons of concrete had been packed on board, adding to the 35 tons of material the boat 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 flotilla of about 20 boats was waiting when the Carthaginian II arrived at Puamana, while spectators lined the shore or pulled over on the Honoapi'ilani Highway to watch the spectacle. Kahu Charles Kaupu offered a Hawaiian blessing, and after a 3-ton anchor was secured to the bow and the ship was in position, patches were removed from two sets of openings that had been cut into the hull about 18 inches above the water line. Seawater was pumped into the hull, and twenty seven minutes afterward the Carthaginian was headed toward the sandy bottom and a new shipwreck was born. Observers let loose with applause and whoops of appreciation as the ship quietly slipped beneath the surface. Aboard the Atlantis shuttle boat 3 air-shattering blasts were fired from miniature brass cannon to mark the occasion.

The Dive

The shipwreck rests in about ninety feet of water off the coast of Lahina and makes a excellent place for underwater photography. It is about a ten to fifteen minute excursion from the harbor to the scuba diving site. The ship was reefed about 7 years ago and at the present provides a home for a broad mix of marine life. When you begin to descend from the mooring ball you should normally 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 in excess of 100+ feet.

There can be some current on the site so a few divers may desire to descend using the mooring line. As you descend you should begin to become aware of additional details regarding the ship and the impacts of being upon the reef for approximately seven years. The main mast collapsed around mid-summer 2011 and will currently be viewed resting upon the deck. The main cabin roof and walls have deteriorated to a certain level and there are many openings into the cargo hold. The entrance to the hold itself is quite large and easily accessible. The engine room along with the forward compartment is blocked by means of a gate however you can still get a good variety of shots from this section. The rear section of the cargo hold is fairly clear and at the present time should include different fish species or crustaceans as they happen to be moving about the shipwreck. There are a number of frogfish on the wreck. Smeltzer was able to photograph 5 different frogfish on his last dive. These fish are extremely well placed for macro photographs and might 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 three were on the starboard side about the midships area.

While scuba diving on the ship, you can also find a broad assortment 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 10 scuba divers in the water given that the ship itself is not very big. It makes a very interesting dive and I highly recommend

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...