wreck

Log This Dive

MARITZ

Maritz, a fishing trawler that went down in 1980, offers a proper historical dive. We particularly like it because you feel the weight of its story. It hit Malaya Rock in stormy seas near Saldanha Bay, and tragically, 30 of 33 crew were lost. You’re descending onto a dangerous wreck, still very much a tomb, and that lends a respectful silence to the dive. The wreck itself sits at 24m, upright and largely intact, though time and the ocean have done their work. Visibility here can be a bit variable, so we always suggest picking a day with calm seas and a rising tide for the best chance of decent light. Inside the wheelhouse, you can still make out some of the controls, encrusted now with delicate nudibranchs and anemones. Outside, shoals of hottentot fish swirl around the mast, and we’ve often spotted shy octopus tucked into crevices in the hull. It's a dive that suits those who appreciate a wreck with a narrative, a place where history and marine life have truly intertwined.