ASHANTI (POSSIBLY)

Often mistaken for the famous destroyer of the same name, this wreck is the MV Ashanti, a civilian motor coaster built in 1936. With the outbreak of World War II, she was requisitioned for service by the Royal Navy to transport vital supplies. In June 1944, the war was reaching its climax. Just four days after the successful D-Day landings in Normandy, the Ashanti was steaming through the English Channel, likely carrying materials to support the Allied invasion force. On June 10th, she tragically struck a German mine off the Lizard, Cornwall. The explosion was devastating, and the small coaster sank quickly, a stark reminder of the immense dangers that persisted in the waters around Britain.

Today, the MV Ashanti rests upright and remarkably intact at a depth of 35 meters. This depth makes it a dive for more experienced divers, but the reward is a beautifully preserved WWII-era wreck. Divers can explore her open holds, the wheelhouse, and the engine room, getting a clear sense of what this small but vital vessel looked like. The wreck is often draped in fishing nets, which have become a substrate for marine growth like jewel anemones and dead man's fingers. It serves as a poignant memorial to the merchant mariners who played a crucial, and often perilous, role in the Allied victory.