Carthaginian II Wreck

The Carthaginian II is one of Maui's most significant and evocative artificial reef wrecks — a 97-foot sailing replica of a 19th-century whaling brig that was deliberately sunk in 2005 just outside Lahaina Harbor in approximately 29 meters (95 feet) of water after serving for years as a floating museum dedicated to the history of Hawaiian whaling. The Carthaginian's scuttling brought a productive end to a vessel that had already lived multiple lives: built in Germany as a cargo schooner, converted to a whale museum, and finally donated as an artificial reef that has since become one of the most visited advanced dive sites in West Maui. The wreck rests upright on a sandy bottom south of the harbor, with the mast and rigging rising to about 50 feet from the surface — tall enough to create a vertical structure that extends through several distinct depth zones and attracts different species at different levels. The shallowest sections of the rigging are accessible to advanced open-water divers, while the full hull lies within the advanced depth range. In nearly two decades since sinking the Carthaginian has been thoroughly colonized by Hawaiian reef organisms: antler coral and lobe coral cover the hull surfaces, and black coral has established itself on the deeper sections of the rigging. Hawaiian green sea turtles are regular visitors, sometimes resting on the deck or swimming through the rigging structure. Large schools of bluestripe snapper fill the interior and hover around the mast in shimmering formations. Whitetip reef sharks are occasionally encountered resting on the sandy bottom near the hull. The wreck's historical significance — representing the whaling industry that profoundly shaped 19th-century Hawaii and tragically impacted Pacific whale populations — adds a cultural dimension to the diving experience. The Carthaginian II is exclusively accessed by boat from Lahaina Harbor operators.