LAHAINA, Maui — Five years ago, the Carthaginian II was sunk in 95 feet of water off the shores of Lahaina, in Maui, to provide a place for undersea life to thrive.

The German-made cargo vessel apparently has done its job.

In a release Thursday, Atlantis Submarines Maui said the ship has become an artificial reef where a variety of indigenous fish and marine life abound, and its surfaces are now encrusted with plant and animal life.

The submarine tour firm and Lahaina Restoration Foundation collaborated on preparing the ship to be sunk a half-mile from shore, in an area chosen because for its lack of coral reefs and marine life.

The firm says now the vessel is not only home to sea life but to tourists peering from sub viewing ports.