SAS Pietermaritz-burg
The dive site SAS Pietermaritzburg is a recent wreck in the Miller’s Point area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Certification Level: Beginner
Entry Method: Boat
Depth: Average 18 - 20m
AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE SHIP WRECK
In 1994 the sad decision was made to end the successful career of this ship and she was scuttled to form an artificial reef. The wreck still lies straight up and is fully intact. It is home to an abundance and impressive amount of marine life, making this dive, a must try!
The wreck of the SAS Pietermaritzburg is located around 800m of shore from Millers Point It has quite a history attached to it and it’s a dive site that will appeal to all divers. The ship was first commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Pelorus and took part in the D-day invasion of Normandy in the Second World War as the lead ship sweeping mines to make way for the invasion fleet. Sold in 1947 to the South African Navy the renamed “HMSAS Pietermaritzburg” was used as a training vessel and minesweeper. It was last decommissioned in July 1964, served as accommodations for the Mine Countermeasures squadron from 1968 to 1991 and was scuttled by explosive charges on 12 November 1994 to form an artificial reef.
