Location: 7 miles outside the entrance of Valletta Grand Harbour
Maximum Depth: 63m
Certification Required: Tec Divers or very experienced divers
Le Polynesien was launched on the 18th April 1890 by Marie Francois Sadi Carnot, President of the Republic of France. In 1914 Le Polynesien started its work for the French ministry as a troop transport vessel. On the 10th of August 1918 Le Polynesien arrived in convoy to Malta in the early hours of the morning. At 10:30 am Le Polynesien was torpedoed by a U-boat UC22 and it took only 35min for the vessel to sink. Nowadays it lies on a sandy bottom of a maximum depth of 63.7 meters. The wreck is found listed on the port site at an angle of 45 degree. The upper starboard can be found on 43meters, there are two deck canons that can be found one on the bow side and on the stern side of the wreck. The wreck of Le Polynesien is 152 meter in length and a gross tonnage of 6659. It is still intact, apart the engine room, which has been damaged by the torpedo. During the dive we can find big groupers and dentex.
This is a decompression dive and has to be done by boat. The wreck is in mint condition with lots of fish around it. Good dive to do on Trimix 20/35 and deco 40% and 80% or Air with 50% deco cylinder.
