Mawali Wreck dive is one of the areas best wreck dives. If you are interested in wreck diving, then the Mawali wreck should shift to the top of your prospective dive site lists. The former 90m/295ft-long Japanese cargo ship went down in flames in 1943 and is now home to a variety of coral species and invertebrates. Melted glass, charred propellers, and broken sail posts all indicate this huge cargo mother ship was scorched before it was forced to start a new beginning at the bottom of the ocean.
The freighter lying on it portside is the most commonly dived site in the Lembeh strait and is covered in a myriad of hard corals, soft corals, and sea fans for divers to explore as well. The wreck is now a very healthy mini ecosystem and home to many different types of marine life. The dive site has many small openings and many sharp navigation points and so it is marked as an advanced dive site for safety. Divers can expect a maximum depth of 31 metres, averaging at 16 metres and low levels of visibility often only around 10 metres.
Melted glass, charred propellers, and broken sail posts all indicate this huge cargo mother ship was scorched before it was forced to start a new beginning at the bottom of the ocean. The wreck begins at about 14 metres into the dive and covers a total of 30 metres, with the topside of the wreck completely covered in corals. Added to this the many nudibranchs, schooling barracudas, and dense numbers of reef fish, this artificial reef has guaranteed perks for divers who are not particularly interested in just wrecks. Divers can find many types of lionfish, scorpionfish, triggerfish, and frogfish. This dive site is also known for its muck diving, as there are many critter species. Pygmy Seahorses and various crustaceans frequent this dive site and in the nooks and crannies, divers will find leaf fish, ghost fish, and mantis shrimps.
For diver safety, divers should stay away from the unstable machine room and they should watch out for large ships or boats that pass very close while ascending.