One of the dive sites we run here in Malta — here's the story behind it, the depth and access, and what it takes to dive it properly.
HMS Olympus (N35) was an Odin/O-class Royal Navy submarine, about 86.5m long and 6m wide. On 8 May 1942 she struck a mine in the waters off Malta; 89 lives were lost and only 9 survived — one of the costliest British submarine losses of the period, weeks after HMS Urge was lost to a mine in April 1942. The wreck lay undiscovered until 2011 and rests upright on the seabed at about 130m, largely intact. She opened to permitted divers on 1 May 2019 under Heritage Malta, with a special permit required. Now carrying stunning coral growth and colourful fan corals, her conning tower stands at around 102-105m and she can be circled in 15-20 minutes — the deepest regularly dived wreck in Malta and a CCR/advanced-trimix objective that ranks among the great dives of the world.
The diving here suits divers at Advanced Trimix / CCR level. This one sits beyond the 100m limit of open-circuit diving — it's CCR and dedicated exploration territory. If you’re not there yet, these are the courses that get you there:
Already certified and just want to dive it? Come and explore it with me on open circuit or CCR — one relaxed dive a day, no rushing, as long in the water as you like.
Want to dive HMS Olympus? Tell me your certification level and your dates, and I'll plan it with you. No pressure, no hard sell — just a good dive.