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SHIPWRECKS OF THE MALDIVES

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FRONT COVER: Founder member of the RSWA, Colin Murphy exploring the Maldive Victory, sduring our first wreck exped shortly before his untimely death due to a non diving illness.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TREASURE ISLANDS?;THE MING DYNASTY, ZHENG HE, PYRAD NORTH MALE ATOLL GAARU ATOLL LHAVIYANI ATOLL ARI ATOLL SOUTH MALE ATOLL MEEMU ATOLL GAAF ALIF ATOLL

INTRODUCTION The Maldives are by no means a Truk Lagoon or Scapa Flow. Indeed war seems to have passed t hese idyllic islands by, and to date we have only a few war time casualties listed. Many local wooden trading vessels are known to have been lost, a few cargo ships and numer ous fishing vessels have been located over the years. The diving industry too has been responsible for numerous vessels sunk as tourist attractions.

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The sheer lengt h of coastline formed by t hese islands atolls and reefs, must hide the remains of many doomed vess els, the most romantic and intriguing of all dating back to 1400. Since its conception, t he RED SEA WRECK ACADEMY has been r esponsible f or the discovery, identification and survey of over 30 shipwrecks in the Egyptian Red Sea, its founder and author of t his publication, Peter Collings, receiving a national award from t he Governor of the Sinai for his contribution to the tourist industry through research and discovery. Like the Red Sea back in the early days of tourism, t he Mal dives gained recognition as a dive location , not through shipwr ecks but through its fish and coral diversity, and clear warm waters. Recent natural events have had t heir effect, but t he Mal dives remain a jewel in a glittering ocean. A series of wreck hunting and research expeditions were put together by t he RSWA, and this publication is the results so far .Many wrecks in these waters were purposely sunk, and while they dont have colourful history, they lend themselves to great photo opportunities and ani mal encounters. As with the expeditions to Aruba, Coron and of course Egypt, mis- identification of at least one shipwreck has come to light, but thanks to the many historians involved in t he team the facts have been v erified-at t he risk of upsetting local experts-and are published here in good faith. While these wrecks do not boast the kudos of war ti me stories or Greek Tragedies t hey do offer an alternative to repetitive swims along si milar looking reefs. These man made reefs offer t he new diver an insight into the exciting world of shipwreck exploration and often become class rooms for skill development. This paper is by no means complete, t he story unfinished. The last expedition raised as many questions as answers .Do the Maldives have more hidden treasures than just the r eefs, mantas, sharks and fishes?. At least 20 known vessels still remain undiscover ed. Per haps they lie on some as yet undived r eef. Per haps ZHENG HEs treasure still awaits, perhaps not, it may lie deep under hundr eds of years of coral, but as we found with the Ottoman trader from 1700c (text books tol d us the wooden frame wor k should have dissolved hundr eds of years ago), history has its own way of revealing itself, often in t he least expected places. The RSWA plans to r eturn to these waters when time per mits and c ontinue its work .Any new discoveries will be added to this publication thereafter.
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THE E BOOK CONCEPT

The idea of the E BOOK series came about after seeing so many incorrect publications quoting the wrong identity of the Tile Wreck at Abu Nuhas in the Red Sea. Despite a plethora of undeniable facts presented by myself and members of the Red Sea Wreck Academy, self proclaiming experts still, for reasons known only to themselves, continued to quote the MARCUS as the CHRISOULA K. It was archive photographs from Howard Rosenstien and the location of the ships bell, which added weight to Stephan Jablonskis accounts of the sinkings. This new material gave us enough to produce the first E book in 2008.

Being free from restrictions it soon found its way around the world and was passed on from diver to diver. It had the desired effect-Now more and more reports carry the correct identity. It was also an opportunity to give something back to diving and promote the forthcoming EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS. Of course there was als o controversy over the identity and purpose of the RUSSAIN WRECK at Zabagad, and this lead to the second title. THISTLEGORM REVEALED is a leader for the new publication SUNDERLAND TO SUEZ THE STORY OF THE THISTLEGORM, out now. SUEZ WRECKS highlights the achievements of our regular wreck hunting trips up into the Gulf, and EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS gives a glimpse of the forthcoming book featuring over 200 wrecks in Egyptia n waters.

Now we focus on other wreck locations around the world in this second series. So now we have a total of11 titles available,, yours to enjoy and pass on-to anyone who may be interested-and dont forget we run regular expeditions and safaris to all these featured Wrecks

Safe diving

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CHAPTER 1 Treasure islands?

THE MING DYNASTY Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored a series of seven naval expeditions. The Yongle emperor designed them to establish a Chinese presence, impose imperial control over trade, and impress foreign peoples in the Indian Ocean basin. He also might have wanted to extend the tributary system, by which Chinese dynasties traditionally recognized for eign people.. THE VOYAGES OF ADMIRAL ZHENG HE

Zheng He was originally named 'Ma He' and was born in 1371. at Jinning, just south of Kunming near the southwest corner of Lake Tian in Yunnan.

In 1381, the year his father was killed,, then only eleven years old,he was captured and made a eunuch. H e was sent to the Imperial court, wher e he was called 'San Bao' meaning 'Three Jewels.' He eventually became a trusted adviser of the Yongle E mperor), assisting him in deposing his predecessor, the Jianwen Emperor. In return for meritorious service, the eunuch received t he name Zheng He from the Yongle Emperor. In 1425 the Hongxi Emperor appointed hi m to be Defender of Nanjing. In 1428 the Xuande Emperor order ed hi m to complete the construction of the magnificent Buddhist nine-storied Da Baoen Temple in NanjingZheng He was placed as the a dmiral in control of the huge fleet and ar med forces that undertook these expeditions. Wang Jinghong was appointed his second in command. Zheng He's first voyage consisted of a fleet of 317 treasure ships (other sources say 200 s hips) holding almost 28,000 crewmen (each ship housing
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up to 500 men), and in 1430 a ppointed him to lead the seventh and final expedition to the "Western Ocean" Zheng He died during the treasure fleet's last voyage, on t he returning trip after the fleet reached Hormuz in 1433. Zheng He generally sought to attain his goals through diplomacy, and his large army awed most would-be enemies into submission But a contemporary reported that Zheng He "walked like a tiger" and di d not shrink from violence when he considered it necessary to impress foreign peoples with China's military might ruthlessly suppressed pirates who had long plagued Chinese and southeast Asian waters. He also waged a land war against the Kingdom of Kotte in Ceylon, and he made displays of military force when local officials threatened his fleet in Arabia and East Africa. From his fourth voyage, he brought envoys from thirty states who traveled to China and pai d their respects at the Ming court. In 1424, the Yongle Emperor died. His successor, the Hongxi Emperor (reigned 14241425), deci ded to stop the voyages during his short reign. Zheng He made one more voyage under the Xuande Emperor (reigned 14261435), but after that the voyages of the Chinese treasure s hip fleets were ended.

Order 1st Voyage 2nd Voyage 3rd Voyage

Time 14051407 14071409 14091411

Regions along the way[15] Champa, Java, Palembang, M alacca, Aru, Sumatra, Lambri, Ceylon, Kollam, Cochin, Calicut Champa, Java, Siam, Cochin, Ceylon Champa, Java, M alacca, Sumatra, Ceylon, Quilon, Cochin, Calicut, Siam, Lambri, Kaya, Coimbatore, Puttanpur Champa, Java, Palembang, M alacca, Sumatra, Ceylon, Cochin, Calicut, Kayal, Pahang, Kelantan, Aru, Lambri, Hormuz, M aldives, M ogadishu, Barawa, M alindi, Aden, M uscat, Dhufar Champa, Pahang, Java, Malacca, Sumatra, Lambri, Ceylon, Sharwayn, Cochin, Calicut, Hormuz, M aldives, M ogadishu, Barawa, M alindi, Aden Hormuz, East Africa, countries of the Arabian Peninsula Champa, Java, Palembang, M alacca, Sumatra, Ceylon, Calicut, Hormuz... (17 states in total)

4th Voyage

14131415

5th Voyage

14161419

6th Voyage 7th Voyage

14211422 14301433

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Zheng He commanded seven expeditions. The 1405 expedition consisted of 27,800 men and a fleet of 62 treasure ships supported by approxi mately 190 smaller ships The fleet included

Treasure ships, used by the commander of the fleet and his deputies (ninemast ed, about 126.73 metres (416 ft) long and 51.84 metres (170 ft) wide), accor ding to later writers. The treasure ships purportedly could carry as much as 1,500 tons. Equine ships , carrying horses and tribute goods and repair mat erial for the fleet (eight- masted, about 103 m (339 ft) long and 42 m (138 ft) wide) Supply ships , containing staple for the crew (seven-mast ed, about 78 m (257 ft) long and 35 m (115 ft) wide). Troop transports , six-masted, about 67 m (220 ft) long and 25 m (83 ft) wide Fuchuan wars hips , five-masted, about 50 m (165 ft) long. Patrol boats, eight-oared, about 37 m (120 ft) long. Water tankers with 1 month's supply of fresh water Zheng He led seven expeditions to what the Chinese called "t he Western Ocean" (Indian Ocean). He brought back to China many trophies and envoys from more than thirty kingdoms including King Alagakkonara of Ceylon, who came to China as a captive to apologize to the Emperor. The records of Zheng's last two voyages, which are believed to be his farthest, were unfortunately destroyed by the Ming emper or. Therefore it is never certain wher e Zheng has sail ed in these two expeditions. The traditional view is that he w ent as far as Iran. Zheng He died during the treasure fleet's last voyage. Although he has a tomb in China, it is empty: he was, like many great admirals, buried at sea :

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PYRARD Franois Pyrard de Laval (ca. 1578 ca. 1623) was a French navigator who is known for his accounts of his experiences while shipwrecked in the Maldives from 1602 to 1607, . On July 2, 1602 Pyrard and a handful of sailors were shipwrecked on Sout h Maalhosmadulu Atoll of the Maldives. They were taken captive by the Maldivians and spent five years as "unwilling guests" on the islands, with most of the time spent on Mal. The sail ors endured malaria and sporadic cruel treatment during their captivity. In the 16t h century, a Chinese ship with a cargo of porcelain and Chinese merchandise was wrecked near the island of Guraidhoo . Pyrar d, who visited the island in 1605 recorded

I was at tha t island one day, and saw the mast and rudder of the ship tha t was lost there. 1 was tol d it was the richest ship conceivable. It had on board some 500 persons, men, women, and children, for the Indians take the grea ter part of their household to sea with them. These 500 persons were ni gh all drowned, and there remained bu t a hundred saved. This ship came from Sunda (Indonesia), laden with all kinds of spices and other merchandise of China and Sunda. Judging merely from the mast of this vessel, I thought it the largest I had ever seen, for the mast was taller and thicker than those of the Portuguese carracks; and the king of the Maldives bui lt a shed of the length of the mast to keep it as a curiosity. I saw also another mast and a top much larger than tho se of Portugal. Thus was I led to believe tha t in the Indies they bui ld vessels larger and of better ma terial than in Portugal or anywhere else in the world. The grea test ships come from the coast of Arabia, Persia, and Mogor, and some have as many as 2,000 persons on board.

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WRECKS ARE LISTED STARTING NORTH AND WORKING SOUTH

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CHAPTER

HAA-ALIF ATOLL.
S.S.VICISSITUDE 1836; A sailing ship on a journey from Mauritius to Ceylon ihavandhippolhu- fulu (HAA-ALIF ATOLL) UNKNOWN WRECK (HATHIFUSHI); An unidentified wreck sank 30 th july 1917 S.S.OCEANO (KADUFUSHI);A British 4657 ton,369 ft x 52 ft steal hulled single screw cargo ship built in 1900 by Russel & Co at glasgow for Andrew Weir & Co, .sailing under the Bank Line flag. She was capable of producing 403 nhp from her triple expansion steam engine. She was wrecked during a voyage from Port Said to Calcutta with a cargo of salt on the 19 th July 1917,while under the command of Master T.George. CAPTAIN PENTAILS ( FILLADHOO);3132 Ton freighter sank 4th June 1963 was wrecked at

HAA-DHAAL ATOLL
ROYAL FAMILY (RUFFFUSHI)a wooden vessel from Liverpooll, wrecked 19 th Aug 1868, 1750 tons, on a voyage from Aden to Callao in balast. PERSIA MERCHANT (MAKUNUDHOO);

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WWW.DEEPLENS.COM In August 1658, five months after her departure from England, the Persia Merchant was wrecked on Maamakunudhoo Atoll, while en route to Bengal. On board were eight chests of silver and probably gold from West Africa. Salvage was attemp ted a t the time of loss bu t was unsuccessful. Many were drowned, but the 50 survivors were well treated by the i slanders and after one month they were given a good boat in which they sailed to Sri Lanka. Among the survivors were Captai n Roger Williams and the mariner-captai n Roger Middleton, who wrote an account of his adventures to his family after reaching India. Mi ddleton said the ship fi lled with water qui ckly, leaving the survivors with nothing and wi thin four hours she had broken into pieces. One of the boats sunk under the ship, leaving just one other to rescue the victims. The survivors found their way by boat and broken pieces of the ship to an uninhabited island south of Makunudhoo, but wi thout food, drink or arms. Mi ddleton Being withou t food, wee ranged about the island. Wee found a well of water, of which

wee dranke like pigeons, lifting head and harts for soe grea te a mercy. Thus drinking water, by good providence wee found coker nutt trees, which is both food and payment, soe wee went by the sea side and found little shell fish and the like, bu t wanting fire wee tooke sticks and rubbed them together untill they kindled, thus wee lived heare ten o r twelve dayes, no t knowing wheather it was better for us to be seen by the Neighbouring Islanders, for the ancient seamen sayd they would cutt our throa ts. Att last there arived three of their boats full of men, which wee dreaded but could not resist.
The stricken castaways were taken to the island of Kuburudhoo (South Thiladhunmathee) "where wee had fi sh and o ther good things, as honey and rice, on which wee, feed like farmers". For the price of a gold chain and a 100 dollars from one of the merchan ts, they obtai ned a vessel and sai led to Ceylon.

HAYSTON (MAKUNUDHOO)An English sailing vessel with a cargo of wine, spices, metals and glass was wrecked in the MALE ATOL in 1819

The Hayston, a t hree-mast English vessel commanded by Captain Sartorius, set out from Isle-de-France ( Mauritius) for Calcutta on July 1, 1819. For several days bad weat her had prevented t hem fr om taking any observations and on July 20 at 8pm, some r eefs wer e noticed in the gloomy darkness. Ther e was little time to tack and the s hip struck the reef on Maamakunudhoo Atoll on the north west of the Maldives. Within a quarter of an hour, there was seven feet of water in the hold and t he s hip's crew were at the mercy of the elements.
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Next morning the sailors discovered t hey had run on to an enormous reef, as far as the eye coul d see, which turned out to be cover ed with water on t he high tide. A s mall islet was seen by t elescope 25 km away which t hey called the "Isle of Hope". On the 22nd, three sailors tried to reach this isle by raft but were never seen again. On the 24t h, every sail or was employed in building a raft large enough to carry them all, but when it was nearly completed the Lascar sailors cut the rope and sailed away. One man who tried to reach them, was threatened with an axe. The long boat was ta ken out from t he ship but was damaged on t he reef and went a drift with a woman and her two daughters and thr ee men, w ho wer e never heard of again. Then t he barge was launched and it was not long before she capsized and split on the reef. A Maldivian sailing boat was seen and a ppeared to be heading in t heir direction, so an officer, Schultz, and some crew gave chase in a dinghy. Aft er several hours rowing, they found t hey w ere s eparated by the boat by a big reef and it passed by without noticing the castaways. Two more sailors, Serang and his brother, were separated from the remaining survivors when a raft on which t hey were paddling between t he reef and t he shipwreck, was caught in the current and drifted away to the south east. In another accident, a rope was stretched between t he reef and the ship and a young boy died trying to return to the ship. Finally, on the 26t h some sailors embarked on t he small dinghy and sailed for the Isle of Hope. They wer e discovered by fishermen from the island of Makunudhoo and the remaining passengers wer e rescued. The survivors arrived in Male on August 4 and were treated with much hospitality. On August 10, Serang and his brot her arrived in Male'. After drifting away on their raft, they spent thr ee nights and four days out at sea and pass ed eleven islands before they landed on an uninhabited island. They wer e both very weak and survived on coconuts before being rescued by a passing fishing boat. They were conducted to t he island w here t he fishermen lived and were treated with much kindness. On August 14, the six Lascars who stole the large raft, arrived at Male'. They resorted to lies to explain the infamy of t heir behaviour, claiming the raft had been broken, had gone adrift and the current had carried t hem away. Despite their treachery, they wer e treated equally by the sultan.
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The wreck of t he Hayston is noted for the humanity of t he Mal divians and generosity of the sultan. In all cases, t he castaways were well provided for and the sultan would not allow them to pay for anything in his country.

NUUNU ATOLL- SHAVIYANI

GEORGE REID 1872 115 ton British iron hulled sailing ship on a journey from London to GALLE to pick up a cargo was wrecked on the south west barrier of milaghummadulu atoll (SHAVIYANI and NOONU ATOLLS) on 25 th September 1872

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Chapter 3 LHAVIYANI ATOLL-FELIVARU

SKIPJACK 11 The Skipjack 11 was being towed out to sea to be scuttled when it caught fire and was cut from its tow. It drifted onto the reef between the islands of FELAVARU and GAAVERIFARU sinking stern first, he bow still protruding out of the water to this day. She had been a fish factory then used as a freezer unit until it was no longer serviceable. The stern of the vessel is in 30 mtrs, holds and superstructure easy to explore. Strong currents can prevail over both wrecks. The attitude of the wreck makes for an exhillerating dive-strating off with a plummet down the outside sheltered from the current with a visit to the wheelhouse on the sae bed. If no current is present then a swim to explore the second wreck is a must, otherwise you can swim slowly up through the hull of the Skipjack. We made several dives on these two wrecks and witnessed eagle rays sweeping into the seebed hunting .NOT A DIVE FOR THE BEGINNER

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WWW.DEEPLENS.COM M.V.GAAFARU, FACTORY SHIP Only 30 mtrs away from the SKIPJACK is another factory ship, this one also scuttled but now lies on its portside in 30 mtrs. Festooned in marine life it is a dive or two in its own right-with endless photo opportunities

Both wrecks are totally covered in marine life and are full of sweepers and reef fishes. The structure is relatively intact and there are many areas to explore inside the wrecks.

Like father like son; a very young Matthew Collings on his first wreck expedition, exploring the bridge of the Skipjack.

Chapter 4 BAA ATOLL-GOIDHOO

THE CORBIN The Corbin was a French ship of 400 tons, which set sail from St Malo with t he Croissant on May 18, 1601, in search of trade with the east. Plagued by misfortune and ill discipline, the Cor bin was destined for disaster and met its end on Goidhoo, or Hors burgh Atoll, on July 2, 1602. It was carrying a cargo of silver and attempted salvage at the time of loss was unsuccessful because of deep water. At the start of the journey, a bad omen occurred w hen the mast broke and t he crew threatened to jump ship. Sickness and desertions threatened t he
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expedition before the ship had even begun to cross the Indian Ocean. The stifling heat had destroyed many provisions, t he water was putrid, fish and meat had gone bad and was full of big wor ms, butter had turned to oil, and scurvy was rampant. A short stay of 15 days at Malailli, one of t he Comoroes islands, vastly improved the health of the crew before they crossed t he Indian Ocean. On July 1, some reefs and islands wer e sighted which wer e correctly recognized as the Mal dives by the English pilot. The night was supposed to be spent beating about, but the Cor bin was virtually left to herself. During the night t he captain was ill and in his bunk, t he mat e and second mate w ere dr unk and the watch w as asleep. In the early hours of t he morning of July 2, t he s hip struck the reef. Of the 40 or so survivors, one band of 12 men stole a boat and made it to India. Only four of the remain der survived t he five-year captivity. One of them was Francois Pyrar d, who wrote about his adventures when he returned. It wasn't until February 1607, when an expedition from Chittagong invaded t he capital, that Pyrar d and his three remaining companions were ta ken to India and eventually returned to France. Ironically, it was the excellent cannon on board the Cor bin that the raiding party was after, which eventually freed t he captives. The treat ment of Pyrard and his companions by t he Maldivians was uncharacteristically cruel but their fate was largely determined by t heir conduct in the days following the wreck of the Cor bin. All the silver and the most precious merchandise were stowed at the bottom of the s hip which, after running onto t he reef was under water and irretrievable. What remained of t he silver was hidden in their waistbands. During their first night on Fulhadhoo, they hid t heir waistbands for fear they shoul d be searched by t he islanders. At lengt h, the sail ors obtained little to eat and were dying of hunger, so t hey uneart hed t he coins and offer ed money for food, which t hey r eceived. In turn, t he natives would give not hing except for money and befor e long the coins started to run out. Pyrard wrote: those who had money, and who by this means could obtain food,

filled t heir bellies without discretion; and being in a country where t he air is very unhealthy for all strangers, even for those of a similar climate, t hey fell ill, and died one after another, nay more, in place of receiving aid and consolation from t heir fellows, those who were without money and in great need came and stripped t hem, and took their money before they were dead, the healthy who survived fought with one another who shoul d have it, and banded themselves two against two, and finally mess mate against mess mate, with so little charity, that they would see their comrades and fellow countrymen die before t heir

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eyes without giving them any assistance or succour. I have never seen a sight so pitiable and deplorable.
Pyrard was taken with two other crewmembers to another island, Fehendhoo. Unlike the others, t hey had no belts of money and although t his caused some trouble at first, they found t hey were better off with nothing, as little by little, the natives gave t hem some food. News of t he wreck and t he money reached Male and commissioners were sent to Fulhadhoo to secure the wreck on behalf of t he sultan. All merchandise and money fr om s hipwrecks automatically became the property of the sultan and Maldivians were prohi bited from selling anything to the shipwreck victims. When t he commissioner arrived at Fulhadhoo, he demanded to know who had t he money from t he vessel. To get hold of it, he arrested all the inhabitants, even t he women, and had t heir thumbs put into cleftsticks and squeezed and bound with iron clasps, to see if they would confess. The villagers on the island of Pyrar d's captivity were in no trouble when it was proved t hey had ta ken not hing, for which they were grateful. Pyrard took great pains to learn t heir language and by doing so was able to largely determine his own destiny and obtain an insight into Mal divian society never before seen by a westerner, on which he wrote extensively. Pyrard I have remarked that nothing served me so much, or so conciliated the goodwill

of the people, the lords, and even the king, as to have a knowledge of t heir language, and t hat was t he reason why I was always preferred to my companions, and more esteemed than they.
The wreck of t he Corbin may have passed unnoticed thr ough history were it not for the historical accounts left by Francois Pyrar d. His account of the wreck and ensuing captivity makes compelling reading and his description of life in the islands and t he customs of t he people make his book a valuable source of reference for historians and students of Mal divian history and culture.

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Chapter 5 GAARARU ATOLL

S.S.ERLANGEN This was a 2750 ton iron hulled German steamship, built by Blohm und Voss,at Hamburg 1889.She was 321 ft long with a 38ft beam, and her triple expansion engine could deliver 320hp.She was described as a twin deck steel screw schooner, mastered by Captain E Oohnsorg. She sank during a storm in 1894 while on a voyage from Cylon to Germany fully laden. Until quite recently, it was thought this was the large wreck lying in a central location on the reef, however when the Red Sea Wreck Academy carried out a survey of the area looking for the S.S.ARACAN, a fiddlers plate revealed a new identity to the wreck age. Thus the ERLANGEN remains unfound. S.S.SEAGULL 1012 ton, 32 crew 2 passengers, reputed to have sunk in 1879 similar in build to the Dunraven lies on the north east of Gaafaru Island. She was a Carnatic like ship, iron hulled, single screw, primitive steam engine and rigged for sail. She was on a voyage from London to Calcutta . The stern is the only part which is relatively intact and lies on its starboard side in 35 mtrs at the base of the reef. The wreckage starts in 5 mtrs and is strewn over the reef covered in corals. Her bow sprit points towards the surface but is also well dispersed. Remains of the 2 cylinder inverted compound engine can still be seen in the shallows.There is also evidence of a traction engine, and this may play a part in the eventual identification of the wreck. Despite intensive research we have not been able to formally identify this wreck or prove that a ship of this name existed, and confirmation would be welcomed!

THE LADY CHRISTINE A cable laying vessel which ran aground on April 16 th 1974 in a heavy swell on the western side of the atoll below Hulhangu Kandu, while laying communication cables. Despite salvage attempts she sank and her remains now lie from 10 mtrs to 30 mtrs, Her engine cable laying drums and other deck fittings can be explored and the entire wreck is covered in a vast array of corals , supporting a great multitude of fish life. Built in 1965 at Bremerhaven by SCHIFFB UNTERWESSER. Panamanian registered she was owned by International Offshore Services ( Liberia) Ltd 862 tons, 178 ft long with a 32 ft beam and a 23 ft draught . (dodas3/263)

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S.S..ARACAN ( GAARARU)

THE WRECKAGE OF THE S.S. ARACAN

Built in 1854 at Whitehaven for the Brocklebank Shipping Co,1174 TON iron hulled ,Glasgow registered vessel, voyage from Rangoon to London sank Aug 12 1873, 42 crew 12 passengers (alt spec-788t,183x 37 x23). Her Master was SC Harwood. The wreck now lies in two halves, Located to the west of Iruvai Kandu. On the northern tip of the atoll, the stern in 45 mtrs on its starboard side with a typical propeller of its day ( akin to the Ulysses).The engine room can be explored revealing her triple expansion engine. Lying in the reef are her two massive boilers masts and cargo remains. Her bow section now well dispersed lies in 15mtrs and the ribs and framework make excellent photo backdrops. She was the subject and one of the main targets for the RSWA, however, noticing a raised section on the windlass sitting upright in the shallows, members of the team cleaned a way the concretion to reveal the date 1871,and DUMBARTON. Clearly this could not be the Erlangen-she wsa not built until 1889.Our contacts in Glasgow confirmed that the ARACAN was fitted with a steam windlass in 1871

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A makers plate, the Fiddlers Seat was uncovered on the windlass of the wreck thought to be the Erlangen, revealingher true identity; Matthew Paul &co, DUMBARTON 1871 YARD NO 84 PATENT STEAM WINDLASS PATANTEES & MAKERS

CLAN ALPINE ( GAARARU) 362 barque wrecked October 1879 on a voyage from Mauritius to Bombay with a cargo of sugar registered at Lieth. CRUSADER ( GAARARU) Wrecked in 1905,with a cargo of sugar cargo sugar,she lies 200mtrs north of the shallow entrance at Gaaararu.The anchor is visible at low tide.,with her funnel,ribs and spars in shallow water

. SWISS (HELEGELI) 1397 TON iron hulled barque, cargo of iron, sank May 29 th 1890 on route from Pondicherry to Marsailles. DHORAMA,lies on top of the reef south of the Swiss and is broken up

CHAPTER 6 NORTH MALE ATOLL-HULULE

(MALDIVE)VICTORY
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Built in Scotland at Lieth by Henry Rob Ltd. The 1420 ton, 82 mtrs general cargo motor vessel was owned by the Maldives Shipping Co. She was returning to her home port from Singapore when she struck Helule Island reef at the entrance to Male Harbour on feb 12 th 1981 and sank on the west side of the reef next morning. Perhaps the best wreck in the Maldives, sitting upright and swept by strong currents she is a challenging and worthwhile dive, worthy of several vists. Her accommodation block offers exiting areas of exploration for the experienced diver trained in wreck diving techniques.

NORTH MALE ATOLL- HEMBADHOO

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TUGBOAT WRECK Only 20 mtrs long this is an intact tugboat, sitting upright in 22 mtrs. S unk as a diving attraction in 1988, it has an intact wheelhouse forward, with mast still in place, behind which is a small hold , with deck winches at the stern. The wreck is a haven for marine life and there are a vast assortment of invertebrates as well as fish to be encountered

NORTH MALE ATOLL-IHURU ISLAND

THE DREDGER WRECK, RANNAMARI. Having completed its work in land reclaimation this 21 mtrs dredger, originally from Singapore, was stripped of its engine, batteries, oil and other contaminates and prepared for sinking as a diving attraction on the 25th April 1999,Before she could be sunk she filled with water and sank of her own accord. She now lies on a flat sandy bed in 25 mtrs on her side.

SOUTH MALE ATOLL-GURAIDHOO

GURAIDHOO WRECK In the 16th century, a Chinese ship with a cargo of porcelain and Chinese merchandise was wrecked near the island of Guraidhoo . Pyrard, who visited the island in 1605 recorded

I was at tha t island one day, and saw the mast and rudder of the ship tha t was lost there. 1 was tol d it was the richest ship conceivable. It had on board some 500 persons, men, women, and children, for the Indians take the grea ter part of their household to sea with them. These 500 persons were ni gh all drowned, and there remained bu t a hundred saved. This ship came from Sunda (Indonesia), laden with all kinds of spices and other merchandise of China and Sunda. Judging merely from the mast of this vessel, I thought it the largest I had ever seen, for the mast was taller and thicker than those of the Portuguese carracks; and the king of the Maldives bui lt a shed of the length of the mast to keep it as a curiosity. I saw also another mast and a top much larger than tho se of Portugal. Thus was I led to believe tha t in the Indies they bui ld vessels larger and of better ma terial than in Portugal or anywhere else in the world. The grea test ships come from the coast of Arabia, Persia, and Mogor, and some have as many as 2,000 persons on board.

Old folk on Guraidhoo still talk about a wooden ship believed to be wrecked on Medhu Faru near Guraidhoo centuries ago;
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however no visible remains are to be seen.

Halaveli wreck(Stingray wreck) Sank in 1001 as a diving attraction this 40 mtr long coastal cargo ship sits upright in 30 mtrs close to the reef. on a sandy shelf The superstructure and engine room ar positioned aft. Attracts a large varaiet of life, although the stingrays seem to be less apparent now.

ARI ATOLL

FISH TRANSPO RTER WRECK, KUREDO Located at t he nort hern end of Viligili Falhu, this is a 30 mtrs long fish transport vessel lying with her stern in 35 mtrs and her bow rising up towards the surface. The wheel house and hol ds are full of sweepers and t he wreck is heavily encrusted. With soft and hard corals. There is a swim t hrough under the s hips keel and her e fish gather at a cleaning station.

FESDU WRECK Located at the northern end of VILIGILI FALHU, this is a 30 mtr trawler sitting intact
and upright on a sloping sandy bottom from 35 to 29 mtrs, with a surrounding eel garden.A small 3 cylinder steam engine can still be found and access is via thegalley at the rear of the wheel house. The wheelhouse and holds are full of sweepers and the deck and superstructure are covered in both soft and hard corals Its compactness allows for full exploration and is great for photography.

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HALAVELI WRECK (STINGRAY WRECK) Sank in 1991 intentionally as a diving attraction, this 40 mtr long coastal cargo ship sits upright in 30 mtrs, close to the reef on a sandy shelf. The superstructure and engine room are aft and her holds forward (similar to the Russian wreck at Zabagad)

KUDA GIRI WRECK A 40 mtr long cargo ship sitting upright in 30 mtrs to within 15 mtrs of the surface. The superstructure is situated aft, with raised stern and winches, forward of the bridge is a single hold, foremast then raised focle. Many areas of easy access for penitration.The handrails and canopy are totally encrusted, intact and teeming with life.La rge green trees of coral grow all over the wreck and the winch is surrounded by clouds of antheas. Purpose sunk as a diving attraction

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SOUTH ARI ATOLL

KHUDI MAA. Situated near t he village of Machchafushi, in t he south east of South Ari Atoll, this is the wreck of a bulk cargo ship some 44mtrs long. She sits upright in 31 mtrs of water on a sandy bottom, her masts still rising to within 10 mts of the surface. She is covered in life from bow to stern and attracts large shoals of horse eyed jacks, and snappers. The superstructure is situated aft above t he engine room. The Galley, helm radio mast and funnel are all interesting features. Forward of the bridge is a crane with its jib pointing forward, the control cab easily accessible. One continuous hold runs towards the bow, home to many spinney lobsters. Her focsle is accessed from a deck hatch and her anchor chain runs out to the nearby reef.

AL KARIM. Located near Ranveli Village on the east side of South Ari Atoll. A bulk cargo ship sitting upright in 33mtrs about 60 mtrs long, on sand ,surrounded by an eel garden. Sunk in 2000, her superstructure boast 3 levels and is located aft and features a galley, bridge, ajoining corridors and access to the engine room. Her engine was removed prior to sinking.The holds are empty are are beginning to fill with sand.The focsle has an anchor winch and square ventilators run the length of the wreck

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FAAR ATOLL- HIMITHI

DURAS1777 A French sailing vessel wrecked on the 12 th April 1777

Km agro mina 11. In Nov ember 2009 the fishing boat KM AGRO MINA 11 was purposely sunk at the north side of FILTHEYO in 30mtrs as an attraction for resident divers.

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MADI GE A small trawler sank in September 2000 off Mirihi resort. Lies bow down in the sand and attracts batfish glass fish and jacks in 20 mtrs RHANDI 11 Situated on the south east corner of South Ari Atol sunk in 1998 in 20 mtrs DURAS A French sailing vessel which sunk in 1777, april 12th. ALIF ATOLL- KURAMATHI
SS REINDER REINDEEER? British vessel, registered in Liverpool, on a journey from Mauiritius to Galle in ballast 965 ton, 26 crew wrecked 29 th may 1868

VAAVU ATOLL- HIGAAKULHI

PIONEER A general cargo vessel, built in 1899 at Danzig by Johannsen as the RIO she later became the EXPRES Then the EXPRESS before she was renamed by her final owners O Niels on (Denmark).She Was wrecked on a voyage from Colombo to Male was wrecked on 13 th May 1958 with a general cargo. Fitted with oil engines, 2 SA 2cy 320x320(91 X 20 X8)

MEEMU ATOLL- MADUVARRI

RAVENSTEIN The 800 ton Dutch Eas t Indiaman Ravestein was sailing to Jakarta from the Netherlands wi th a valuable cargo of gold and silver when it ran aground at Madhuveri Island i n Mulaku Atoll on May 8, 1726. At the time of loss, nine chests of silver and one chest of gold were recovered. The cap tai n, Antony Klink, sent the rest of the crew to Male', while he remai ned for one month a t the island near where the vessel was lost. The arrogan t conduct of Kli nk tested the pa tience of the Maldivians, in particular, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II (1720 - 50 AD). In a letter sent to the Du tch Governor of Ceylon, the sultan said Kli nk did nothing but complai n bitterly of the inhabitants of the islands.

The Sultan wrote: He [the captain] expected them to work like European sailors, not taking into consideration the fact that they are only wretched creatures who look upon the smallest service extracted from them as a grievous oppression. You are well aware gentlemen, of the nature of the islanders

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When t he captain arrived in Male' on June 13, he demanded from the sultan 50 men and four large boats to save the property of the company. The sultan was outraged by t his extraordinary demand a nd gave no answer and, in any cas e, was not prepar ed to send boats to the site as the v essel was cast away on a place to which a small boat can approach only with difficulty, as the seas were rough and the surf dangerous.
The Dutch were invited to return in the calmer months to attempt further recovery and the crew of the shipwrecked Ravestein were returned to Ceylon with the gold and silver chests and other goods recovered from the wreck.

MEEMU ATOLL- MAALHAVELI

PRAZERE ALGERIA The Prazer e Allegria left Lisbon, Por tugal, on Nov ember 8,
1843 with 84 convicts and relief officers and others, bound for Goa, India. She reached the Cape of Good Hope with the loss of 29 convicts from scurvy and on March 16, 1844, the crew sighted several islands which the captai n declared were the Maldives. With the curren t runni ng at three miles an hour towards land, the captai n continued on the same course.
Maj or de Quinhones, w ho w as in charge of the conv icts, said in a report of the disaster:

At about 4 o'clock in the evening the ship was so near land that we coul d see

the people distinctly; and it was then t hat a little boat manned by blacks, and with an English jack fixed at the poop, came off from one of the islands. Approaching the ship one of the Moors pointed towards a channel which lies between three or four islands. The Captain hailed the Moors, and told them to come on board; but seeing t he convicts they immediately departed through fear, lowering the jack. Thus we were committed to t he current, which every moment drove us much nearer land, and upon a reef of coral which lies opposite the second island. The night was dark, and t here was lightning; the breakers dashed incessantly on t he si des of t he ship, forcing her more on to the reef; at length the rudder broke, and t he ship rested; but a large leak was sprung. All of us worked t he pumps, but it was impossible to reduce the water.
The ship had struck t he r eef off Muli Island in Mulaku Atoll and on the morning of the 18th, the passengers and crew were transported to Muli Island without loss of life. On the following day t he cock-boat, the long boat, a nd a hired boat from t he villagers were dispatched in order to procure more provisions but all three boats were sunk by waves. El even lives were lost mostly convicts.
The 104 survi vors remai ned on the island of Muli for five days before being transported to the "King's Island". It took seven days sailing by day only and stoppi ng

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WWW.DEEPLENS.COM the ni ght at islands to reach Male'. The captain hired two Catamarans to transport the survivors to Ceylon, among whom were two ladies and three children RAYVILLA WRECK LIES INSIDE meemu MIDWAY DOWN THE WEST PASS. KALHAUOHFUMMI. No ted to have sunk here in 1573,south east of

Kohovaariyaafushi,south east corner of Mukuku Atoll

DHAAL ATOLL- KUDAHUVADHOO

LIFFEY Bui lt in 1870 by Potters a t Liverpool for WCA Altringham this 3 hold screw schooner was mastered by G.H.Rake, when on a voyage from Mauritius to Calcutta she wrecked on 3 August 1879.The vessel was 116ft long fitted wi th a 2 cylinder, dirct acting steam engi ne producing 30hp. UTHEEMU 1Wrecked on 15th July 1960

THAA ATOLL- VELIGADU

ALDONIS Wrecked July 1835

LAAAMU ATOLL- MAAVAH

FRANCEOISThe French regi stetred vessel was on a voyage from Bourbon to Calcutta when she was wreckd on the 3RD JUNE 1873

LAAMU ATOLL-HADDUMMATHI
ST. CLAIR PARAMATTA .A small sailing vessel, crew of 11 wrecked in 1855 LAAMU ATOLL - ISDHOO
LAGAN BANKA 5583 ton, British twi n screw steel S team ship wi th a cargo of Jute gunnies was wrecked on 13 th January 1938, while on a voyage from Calcutta to The River Plate UMAANAan unknown vessel which sank in1903

GAAF ALIF ATOLL- MAAMUTAA ATOLL

NICOLAOS S. EMBIRICOS (FORE SECTION).A Greek general motor vessel, 8460 ton,469 ft long,.61 ft beam,39 ft draught, bui lt in 1958 by Cammel Lai rd Ltd Birkenhead for the Cia, Navagation Elpsilom S.A. On May 15 th,1969 she ran aground on Sunadiva Atoll While on a voyage from Calcutta to the United Sta tes Gulf wi th a cargo 35

WWW.DEEPLENS.COM of 6.139 tons of jute gunni es, cotton and tea. Number 1 & 2 holds flooded and 3 tugs tried un- successfully for 13 days to refloat the vessel. Most of the crew abandoned ship and the master and 3 offi cers remained on board un til it was concluded that the ship was lost. The salvors then decided to break the vessel in two wi th explosives and cutting, leaving the forepeak behind. This was accomplished on July 14th and the day after the ju te caught fi re causing severe damage to the superstruc ture and the engine room. The refloated stern sec tion was eventually taken to Si ngapore to be scrapped.

GAAF ALIF ATOLL- VILIGILI

UNKNOWN VESSEL.Reported to be a liner with 700 passengers on board ran aground 24 th May 1902- more research required SPIRIT Wrecked on the GAAF ALIF and GAAAF DHAAL ATOLLS, September 1856 AEGEAN 1873 An iron hulled sailing ship of 836 tons registered in Lieth, on a voyage from Sourabaya to Amsterdam with a cargo of tobacco cotton and sugar was wrecked at GAAF ALIF and GAAAF DHAAL ATOLLS ON May 4th, 1873

ADELINE 1874A 145 TON 3 masted iron hulled schooner of French registry sailing
from MAURITIUS to COLOMBO with a cargo of sugar and empty casks which sand in 1874

S.S.CONSETT. Built in 1872 by Mi tchells ( who also bui lt the Dunraven) for William
Mi lburn & Co.. She was 1727 tons, 259ft long screw schooner, her 2 cyli nder direct acting steam engine was built at Hawthorn s Marine engine works at Wallsend. She was mastered by J. Hodgeson, when she was wrecked on the 7th May, 1880 sailing from Bassien to Port Said with a cargo of rice. On the north east edge of GAAAF ALIF / GAAF DHALL

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SEENU ATOLL-HITHADHOO

BRITISH LOYALTY A 5583 ton British oi l tanker, bui lt in 1928 by Palmers of

Newcastle. She survived an attack by a midget submarine in Diego Suarez harbour May 30 th 1944.Damaged but repaired, she was torpedoed in Addo Atoll harbour and remai ned there un til the en d of the war when she was sunk by gunfi re from a British warship during the British wi thdrawal of Gan on Jan 5 th 1946 She lies between the island of MARADHOO and HITHAHOO on her starboard side i n 33 mtrs. The port side is in 16mts, bow pointing north she is 140mtrs long wi th a cen tre island bridge arrangement and stern engine room. The hole made by the torpedo is huge and div ers can gain access to her interior through this. Raised walkways connect the centre island to the fo csle and aft superstruc ture

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other vessels known to have foundered

L ECUREUIL 204 ton French brig, registered a t Bayonne,with a crew of 10 was on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Singapore in ballast ,when she was wrecked on the reefs of ONE AND A HALF DEGREE CHANNEL TRANQUABAR A sailing vessel on a voyage to Colombo with a cargo of cloth, she was wrecked near MALE on 29 th Jan 1797
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EUROPA A sailing vessel with a cargo of arms and cloth was wrecked in the sou thern atolls 23 may 1812 JAMES MC INROY 1837 Exact location unknown

Kanzler; built by Blohm Und Voss, owned by Indian trading co DAD A MIA KHANDANI,3136 tons, 321 ft x 39.2 x 27, triple expansion engine, general cargo. Sank Aug 14th 1914 Karachi to Maurtius

SS Khedive Ismail The 7,513 ton steamship was launched as the Aconcagua by Scotts of Greenock in 1922. T he Aconcagua passed into Egyptian ownership in 1935 and was rena med Khedive Ismail . In 1940 the Khedive Ismail was requisitioned as a British troopship by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

On 6 February 1944 Convoy KR-8, consisting of 5 troop ships, sail ed from Kilindini Harbour at Mombasa, Kenya to Colombo, Ceylon, escorted by the heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins and the destroyers HMS Petard and HMS Paladin. In the early afternoon of Satur day 12 February 1944, the Ja panese B1 type submarine I-27, commanded by Lt-Cdr Toshiaki Fukumura, attacked the convoy in the One and a Half Degree Channel, south-west of the Mal dives . The ship was carrying 1,511 personnel including 178 crew, 996 officers and men of the East African Artillery's 301st Field Regi ment, 271 Royal Navy personnel, and a detachment of 19 Wrens. Also on board were 53 nursing sisters accompanied by one matron, and 9 members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. As survivors flounder ed in the sea, I-27 submerged a nd hid beneath t hem. While HMS Paladin lowered boats over her side to begin rescuing survivors, HMS Petard raced in to release dept h charges. The destruction of an enemy submarine that might sink more ships took pr ecedence over the lives of the survivors, and I-27 under Commander Fukumura had a history of machinegunning survivors of ships she had sunk, On Petards third run, her dept h
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charges forced I-27 to the surface. Paladin rammed the submarine, in the process causing considerable damage to herself. Finally a torpedo from Petard destroyed the I-27. 1,297 people, including 77 women, lost their lives.

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