Juvenile psychedelic frogfish in Ambon Bay, Maluku

Photo: Truite agile, cropped, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Duke of Sparta Wreck

Ambon Bay, Maluku, Indonesia

  • Advanced
  • Mild current
  • Best Sep to May

Duke of Sparta Wreck is an advanced dive site in Ambon Bay, Maluku, Indonesia. Dives run from 12 to 40 m, with mild current. The best months are September to May. Marine life here includes lionfish, grouper and batfish. One dive shop on Scubalo runs trips here.

Updated

Conditions at Duke of Sparta Wreck

Max depth
35 m
Depth range
12–40 m
Current
Mild
Level
Advanced
Depth profile: dives from 12 m to 40 m.

Safety

Depth
Deeper parts of the wreck are past 30 metres; plan your gas and no-stop time.

About Duke of Sparta Wreck

The Duke of Sparta is a 134 metre British-built freighter that sank in Ambon Bay in 1958 after a bombing raid. She lies down the harbour slope near the Pertamina jetty, her stern at 12 metres and her bow beyond 40, intact and heavily grown over.

The Duke of Sparta was built in 1940 at William Gray's shipyard in West Hartlepool, England. In 1951 she was sold in Naples and renamed SS Aquilo. In April 1958 she was bombed in Ambon harbour during Operation Haik, the covert American operation backing rebels against the Indonesian government, and she sank about a month later, on 27 May. For years divers called her simply the Ambon shipwreck, until a plaque on her boiler confirmed who she was.

She lies on the western side of Ambon Bay, close to the Pertamina jetty, facing down the slope. A mooring buoy marks the stern at about 12 metres, the foredeck is at 32 metres and the bow drops past 40 metres, so you can see much of the wreck at moderate depth and save the bow for a deeper, shorter visit. At 134 metres long and 17 metres wide she is still easy to recognise, with hard and soft corals around the mast and a fimbriated moray living on the top deck with its cleaner shrimps.

Visibility in the harbour is usually 5 to 15 metres, and an incoming tide gives the clearest water.

When to dive Duke of Sparta Wreck

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December.

Season

Right now
Main season
September to May, when Ambon's operators run most of their trips.
Water temperature
About 26 to 30°C.

Marine life at Duke of Sparta Wreck

What divers report seeing here. Tap one to see where else it turns up.

Type of diving

Questions about Duke of Sparta Wreck

What is the Duke of Sparta wreck?

A 134 metre freighter built in 1940 in West Hartlepool, England, later renamed SS Aquilo. She was bombed in Ambon harbour in 1958 during Operation Haik and sank on 27 May that year.

How deep is the Duke of Sparta?

The stern is at about 12 metres, marked by a mooring buoy. The foredeck is at 32 metres and the bow lies beyond 40 metres.

Where is the Duke of Sparta wreck?

On the western side of Ambon Bay, close to the Pertamina jetty, lying down the slope of the harbour.

What are the conditions on the Duke of Sparta?

Visibility is usually 5 to 15 metres, best on an incoming tide. The shallow stern suits most certified divers, while the bow is a deep dive for experienced divers.

When is the best time to dive in Ambon?

September to May, when Ambon's dive operators run most of their trips. The water is about 26 to 30°C.

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Dive shops that go to Duke of Sparta Wreck

One shop in the directory runs trips here.

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