The Mawali Wreck is a 65 metre long steel Japanese WWII cargo ship that sank in 1943 when she was scuttled by her crew.  She now lays just off the Lembeh Island coast on her port side and has become completely encrusted with coral, crinoids and sponges. This is one of the most colourful of the Lembeh Strait dive sites. Maximum depth is 30 metres.
The reef is now home to impressive marine life including wrasse, grouper, angelfish, bannerfish and butterflyfish. Moray eels can be seen as can octopus. Big lionfish hover over the wreck in gangs, scorpionfish camouflage themselves on the ship's structure which barely still resembles a ship at all.
As always, crabs, shrimps and nudibranchs are present. Look out for pink squat lobsters and orangutan crabs. |
