Victory Wreck

A cargo-ship wreck in the channel between Malé and Hulhulé (the airport island), North Malé (Kaafu) Atoll — also called the Maldive Victory, MV Victory or simply the Victory Wreck. Carrying supplies from Singapore, she struck the Hulhulé reef in bad weather on Friday 13 February 1981 and sank, and now lies upright on a sandy bottom in a protected area, her hull, bridge, wheelhouse and open cargo holds largely intact and crusted in soft corals and sponges. It's a deep dive: the sandy bottom sits around 35 m, the deck about 25 m, and the shallowest points — mast top and bridge roof — at roughly 12–18 m. Outgoing currents in the channel can run strong, with heavy boat traffic overhead, so it's an advanced site, usually dived near slack tide on a negative-entry descent (divers are often dropped on the Hulhulé house reef and swim out to the wreck). Visibility is typically 20–30 m. Beyond the coral growth, expect groupers, giant trevally, snappers, batfish, lionfish, pufferfish and turtles, with nudibranchs and pipefish on the stern — making it an excellent site for macro photography. It's also a rewarding night dive. Boat entry.

Also known as: MV Victory