Diving at ship wreck the Hellespond

Name Dive Site:	Hellespond
Depth:	38-42m (124-137ft)
Visibility:	10-20m (32-65ft)
Accessibility:	Boat
Inserted/Added by:	debono
Rated:	Rated 4.0, 1 votes
Specifications:

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The Hellespond is a very unusual wreck as the ship was a paddle driven steam tug boat which was launched in 1910, meaning she is soon going to be 100 years old. She has been in Malta since 1922 until she was bombed on the 17th of September 1940, during World War Two. She was repaired and damage again on the 6/7th of April 1942. In 1944 she was deemed beyond repair and was towed to her present location because the grand harbor was full of damaged ships and a harbor cleanup action was in progress. She was found by the well known diver and documentary film maker Emi Farruggia in June 1999 and has been a popular dive site ever since.

The Hellespond is a popular wreck dive. It is a short boat ride from Valletta harbour in an area very busy for shipping. The ship is not very large, 46 meters long and 9 meters wide. When afloat she weighs 950 tons. It is not a very well known wreck and not many dives centers will be able to arrange a dive here for you. She is not a typical touristy dive. Visibility can be very murky and it is a site only suitable for experienced divers. However, if you like wreck diving, the Hellespond is a good wreck with plenty to see and she is also historically interesting. A documentary about the wreck is available from dive shops on Malta but unfortunately only in Maltese.

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