Florida & Russell Islands · Solomon Islands · Wreck
HMNZS Moa
A New Zealand minesweeper sunk while refuelling in Tulagi Harbour
A 51 m New Zealand minesweeper sunk in Tulagi Harbour on the same day as the USS Kanawha, while she was refuelling. She lies in 40 m, a little shallower than the tanker, but in harbour water where the visibility is sometimes poor.
Also known as Moa.
Where it is and how deep
9.0915° S, 160.1477° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The minesweeper sits on the harbour floor in 40 m, a little shallower than the Kanawha. Estuaries and mudflats around Tulagi Harbour cloud the water, so the visibility on the hull is sometimes poor.
The wreck
- Vessel
- HMNZS Moa
- Type
- Minesweeper
- Length
- 51 m (167 ft)
- Sunk
- 1943
- Cause
- Bombed by Japanese aircraft while refuelling from USS Erskine M. Phelps in Tulagi Harbour
- Lies
- On the floor of Tulagi Harbour in 40 m
On 7 April 1943 the New Zealand minesweeper Moa was refuelling from the USS Erskine M. Phelps in Tulagi Harbour when Japanese aircraft attacked. She was sunk with the loss of 5 crew members, on the same day the US Navy oiler Kanawha was bombed nearby, and both ships now lie as wrecks in the waters off Tulagi.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Florida & Russell Islands: Diving runs all year; the northwesterlies of November to April bring more rain and the odd squall or cyclone that can reroute a trip.
Know before you go
- Runoff from the estuaries and mudflats around Tulagi Harbour can bring poor visibility on the wreck.
Dive videos
HMNZS Moa · Michael McFadyen on YouTube
Sources
- Tulagi, for lovers of Rust and Reef — Diveplanit
- HMNZS Moa Wreck — ScubaGo
- HMNZS Moa (T233) - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
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