MARIA PIA

Best months: Aug

Why dive here

With 140+ marine species recorded in the area - including dolphins, ocean sunfish (mola mola), octopuses, sea turtles and sperm whales - MARIA PIA offers some of Al Hoceima's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 16-23°C, warmest July, August, September.

Best timeAug

WetsuitA 3mm full wetsuit

Marine lifeDolphins, Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola), Octopuses, Sea Turtles and Sperm Whales · 140+ species recorded

Water16-23°C · warmest July, August, September

CharacterWreck dive · max 35m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Maria Pia wreck just off Al Hoceima is one of those sites we always make time for. It’s a fishing vessel, sitting upright at 35 metres, but what makes it special isn’t just the history, it’s how the Mediterranean has reclaimed it. We love dropping down and seeing the hull emerge from the blue, usually with schooling damselfish swirling around the mast. You can really get a sense of its working life when you explore the deck. The fishing equipment is still there, draped with sponges and soft corals, making for fantastic wide-angle shots. Inside the wheelhouse, it’s dark, but you often find conger eels peering out from shadowed corners, and we’ve even spotted big moray eels tucked into the deeper holds. It’s a quiet dive, usually with good visibility, and the depth means it’s definitely one for experienced divers comfortable with deeper profiles. It’s not about huge pelagics here, but the intimate exploration of a true wreck site, and the life that has found a home on it.