Ministry of Housing and Urban Development issued permission to once more dive at Victory Wreck, one of the most famous diving sites in Male' Atoll, after a period of three years.
Site Inspector and Managing Director of Dive Desk Adam Ashraf stated that Victory Wreck was reopened on February 21.
Diving at the Victory shipwreck on the southwest side of the reef of Hulhule was prohibited when work on Sinamale Bridge commenced in 2016.
Although four buoys were deployed around the dive site in order to mark the area and prevent any damages, sedimentation at the site had negatively impacted the surrounding coral and marine life.
Shareef stated that the shipwreck was affected by the construction work that took place during the construction of Sinamale Bridge, highlighting that most damages sustained was due to anchoring by construction vessels, as well as mud plummeting on the sunken ship.
However, Shareef also noted that the biodiversity around the dive site has increased.
“People were not allowed in the area for two years. Due to this, flora and fauna in the area have thrived”, he said.
Additionally, Shareef revealed that a survey would be conducted in the near future to assess the severity of damages caused to the shipwreck.
Victory, carrying a cargo shipment from Singapore, sank in 1981 after hitting Hulhule’s reef while manoeuvring through Gaadhoo Kolu. The shipwreck later became a renowned diving spot, not only in Maldives, but also around the world.
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