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 Russell was a Duncan-class pre-Dreadnought battleship built by Palmers at Jarrow and launched in February 1901 — 132m long with a 23m beam and a top speed of 19 knots, fast for her day. One of six "Admirals," she was named after Admiral Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford. She reached Malta on 26 April 1916 but had to wait outside Grand Harbour because of the boom defences. Early the next morning, manoeuvring off the harbour, she struck two mines laid by the German submarine U-73. Fires and explosions caused a severe list; she capsized and sank in about 20 minutes. Most of the crew escaped, but 27 officers and 98 ratings were lost. She lies about 6km east of Valletta at around 115m, completely inverted on sand with the stern missing, the site littered with gun cases and some guns lying on the sand. Found by a British technical team in July 2003, she opened to permitted divers on 1 May 2019 under Heritage Malta. A deep trimix dive with beautiful growth, her inverted hull and depth keep bottom times short.
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 Russell? Tell me your certification level and your dates, and I'll plan it with you. No pressure, no hard sell — just a good dive.