Siyam World Maldives, part of Sun Siyam’s Lifestyle Collection, has introduced a new wreck dive site in Noonu Atoll by repurposing a former Maldivian tuna freighter as an artificial reef and diving attraction.
The 66.36-metre, 499-tonne vessel,
originally built in Japan in the 1980s, was cleaned and prepared near Malé
before being towed to Noonu Atoll following government approval in August 2024.
It was intentionally sunk in October 2024
within the resort’s waters near an existing reef to create a new dive site and
support marine habitat development.
During the initial sinking, the vessel
settled upside down due to trapped air.
It was later repositioned upright in early
2025 by a local team using lifting equipment, allowing the structure to be
safely used for diving.
The wreck now sits with its bow at around 10
metres and stern at 24 metres, making it accessible to certified divers.
Marine life, including reef sharks, rays,
turtles, and a variety of fish species, has already been observed around the
structure, while coral growth has begun forming on the steel surface.
With government approval for coral
propagation, the site is being developed further by the resort’s Sun Diving
team as part of its Wreck to Reef conservation initiative.
The project includes reef monitoring, coral
planting, and environmental tracking. -TradeArabia News Service