
HMS Russell
Gozo · Malta
Royal Navy Duncan class battleship that struck two mines laid by German submarine U73 on 27 April 1916 and now rests upside down on sand 6 km east of Fort St Elmo off the Delimara peninsula. The 132 m hull sits at 115 m with the keel rising to roughly 100 m and the stern torn off by the second detonation. Discovered in 2003 and opened to permit holders in May 2019, the wreck is the largest tech accessible WWI battleship in the Mediterranean. Trimix teams tie shot lines to the inverted keel, drop alongside 12 inch gun barrels still in their barbettes, and pass open hatches where John Dory and forkbeard hold station inside the casemates. Visibility at depth regularly exceeds 30 m and the steel is draped in white gorgonians and red sponges.
Conditions
Depth
100 to 115 m
Advanced depths
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
25 to 40 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
14 to 22°C
Drysuit; cold thermocline at depth
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
| Vis (m) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
John Dory
Last confirmed May 15, 2026 · 130 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Dusky Grouper
Last confirmed Nov 19, 2025 · 7 records
Very likely
Most dives
Conger Eel
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Forkbeard
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Red Gorgonian
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear