Dive Sites
MV Rozi
About:
The Rozi is a 40 metre long tugboat, built in Bristol in 1958 and which spent its early life in Liverpool before being sold to Malta Ship Towage LTD in 1972. She then spent the next 20 years working around the Grand Harbour in Valletta before being sold in 1992 to Captain Morgan cruises. She was scuttled as a tourist attraction so they could take visitors down to the wreck with a small submarine.
The wreck is located with the stern on the reef, approximately 100 metres from the entry point and is still very much intact, missing only the engine and propellers which were removed before its sinking. The wreck sits perfectly upright making it wonderful for photography with a maximum depth of 36 metres and a shallowest point of 18 metres.
A must for all Advanced certified divers on their diving holiday or even those doing their Advanced PADI Courses whilst diving Malta.
P29
About:
The P29 is a 51 metre Kondor Class Patrol Boat built by Peenewerft shipyard to be used by the East German navy during Cold War period. She was originally used to patrol the riverbanks between the East and West but also operated as a minesweeper between Germany and Denmark. She was later sold to the Armed Forces of Malta where she operated as a Patrol Boat for 12 years before scuttled in 2007.
The wreck, located just off the reef at Cirkewwa lies on the sand at 33 metres, stretching up to a shallowest point of 21 metres at the top of the mast. You will regularly find a large amount of life on the wreck, including large Dentex and many Moray Eels as well as some impressive swim-through's where the engines were removed before sinking.
A must for all Advanced certified divers on their diving holiday or even those doing their Advanced PADI Courses whilst diving Malta.
Cirkewwa Reef
About:
A true scuba diving delight for all divers wanting to enjoy Malta diving. The reef at Cirkewwa can be dived at almost any depth between 3 and 30 metres. It is perfect for all levels of diver both qualified and inexperienced and a site we visit often. It features a range of differing landscapes, including walls, boulders, flat platforms as well as swim-through's and underwater arches. You will also find some stunning and diverse marine life with lots of Moray Eels, Octopus, Grouper, Parrot Fish and lots of other schooling fish and hunting fish buzzing about.
Anchor Bay
About:
Situated on the North West coast of Malta, Anchor Bay is most famous for housing the film set of the 1980 film Popeye but to those who love the underwater world it is also one of Malta's impressive scuba diving sites. With maximum depths of only 10 metres the site is perfect for all. It offers stunning visibility with a large amount of marine life and alongside a large stone anchor, you can also visit a truly remarkable cavern. Despite being shallow (max 6 metres), the cavern reaches deep into the cliff face and even allows for the chance to surface within and enjoy a conversation in the fresh breathable air inside.
Close to the dive centre, it is a popular scuba diving spot for all and we often visit when teaching Open Water PADI courses or even on a Discover Scuba Diving course.
Siren's Bay
About:
Siren's is our shallow confined water training site, mainly used for teaching ourDiscover Scuba Diving Courses and our first level PADI courses. It is a shallow water environment with a nice amount of marine life and stunning clear waters making it the perfect place to try scuba diving for the first time or practise your skills in one of our PADI courses whilst diving Malta on your diving holiday.
Imperial Eagle & Statue of Christ
About:
A site for the more experienced diver, the Statue of Christ lies at 35 metres and is an impressive sight for any diver. Blessed by Pope John Paul II, the statue was originally placed in St Paul's Bay before being moved to Qawra.
Behind Christ's left shoulder you will find the wreck of the Imperial Eagle, a former ferry boat between Malta and Gozo, taking its maiden voyage in 1958 but being scuttled in 1995. Still well in tact but quite open, she offers the opportunity for easy penetration and key features such as the steering wheel remain which makes for a great photo opportunity. At 40 metres she is one for the Advanced diver and makes a great spot to dive as part of the Deep Specialty PADI course.
Tug 2
About:
Tug 2 is Malta diving's newest wreck situated off the Exiles reef in Silema. As the name suggests, before being sank for scuba diving in 2012 the wreck was a tugboat operating in the Grand Harbour, Valletta. Despite being in the water such a short period of time, the amount of life has built up rapidly. You can see life on this wreck which you see in few other places around the island, such as Trigger fish, Stargazers and Weaver fish.
At 30 metres long and lying at a maximum depth of 20 metres it is the perfect wreck dive for all levels of qualified diver. It is also a great spot for your Wreck Specialty PADI scuba diving course and Open Water PADI courses.
Bristol Beaufighter
About:
One of the Second World War fighter planes, armed with guns, rockets and torpedoes the Beaufighter took off from Malta on 17th March 1943 when it experienced problems, vibrating and losing speed. The pilot had no option but to ditch into the sea, thankfully himself surviving.
The plane now lies upside down on the sandy bottom at a depth of 38 metres. The wings and centre fuselage are still intact and the undercarriage framework and tyres still stick upright from the wreckage. Despite partially being buried by sand, this is still a stunning dive and makes for a great way to complete your Deep Specialty PADI Courses.
X127
About:
The X127 is one of the 200 lighters constructed for the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. Designed by Walter Pollocks & Son of Faversham in Kent, England. The X127 was one of 200 vessels created due to a request for a larger type of self-propelled lighter suitable for transporting troops, horses and field guns for beach landings. During the First World War the X127 was heavily involved in the landings of Gallipoli however at the end of the War, the vessel ended in Malta. Used as a Water Lighter, eventually she was sank by torpedo on 21st April 1942. She sank on her mooring at the submarine base located at Manoel Island.
The wreck lies on its mooring, sloping down the reef from 5 metres to a depth of 20 metres at its stern. It is still remarkably intact and you can clearly see the area of explosion where the torpedo would have hit and sank the X127.
It is the perfect scuba diving site for all you history fanatics of all qualification levels. With a very protected entrance and exit point and is a great opportunity to visit a true historical wreck in any weather. Also a brilliant spot for your Wreck Diving PADI courses and even a spot to visit on your Discover Scuba Diving course.
HMS Maori
About:
The HMS Maori is arguably the most famous of all Malta diving wrecks and it has a remarkable story throughout history. It was a World War II Tribal Class Destroyer, launched in 1937 and is most famous for the role it played in the sinking of the German ship the Bismarck. The HMS Maori, stationed in Malta throughout WWII, had the intention of disrupting supply routes to Northern Africa and throughout the Mediterranean. In 1942, during a night raid, a German plane dropped a bomb into her engine room and sank her in the docks. Due to her size, she had to be re-floated and moved to avoid being a hazard to other ships within the Grand Harbour. She now sits between 8-14 metres depth beside Fort St Elmo in Valletta, sadly a large proportion now lies beneath the sand.
It is a stunning site for all levels of diver. Whether you're completing a Discover Scuba Diving course on your diving holiday or whether you have years of experience. It has an abundance of marine life in particular large schools of Bream, Goat Fish and for the very lucky even the occasional Seahorse. Due to its shallow depths it is also the perfect spot to finish the Wreck Specialty PADI Courses.
Two Tugs - Zonqor Point
About:
The two tugs is a shallow scuba diving site on Malta's East coast. Although both wrecks are small they're close together and with a maximum depth of 20 metres you really can spend an awful long time enjoying both wrecks to the fullest.
The St. Michael wreck is a Tanac type 20 metre long vessel, built in 1944 and the smaller wreck is a Melita type 16 metre long vessel. Both boats served for many years in Malta's Grand Harbour, moving and assisting many a larger vessel. The boats were scuttled in 1998 to provide a new dive site to increase Malta diving options.
Um El Faroud
About:
The Um El Faroud is a 115m long, former Libyan oil tanker which operated between Libya and Italy. In 1995 it entered Malta's dry docks for maintenance work however on February 3rd an explosion in one of the central containers on-board sadly killed 9 Maltese workers and badly damaged the ship. The damaged hull occupied the dock for three years until it was scuttled as a Malta diving attraction and as an artificial reef.
This wreck is one of the largest on the Maltese islands, and is a truly impressive sight for all divers lucky enough to pay a visit. There is always masses of life on the wreck, particularly the schooling Barracuda and hunting Amber Jack. The wreck also provides a great opportunity for simple wreck penetration. Having been cleaned before scuttling there are now many different entrances and exits at all levels. One could enter the kitchen at 25 metres, the living quarters above and the bridge area at 20 metres. For the more adventurous when diving Malta, you can even head down the stairs within and into the engine room, itself spread over 4 levels
Wied iz-Zurrieq
About:
This large valley area offers dives for all levels of scuba diver, with a stunning wall dive, a sloping reef and even a cave all within a few minutes swim of the entry point. Marine life gravitates towards the valley here and you will often find life you do not find elsewhere on the island. During the winter months you will regularly spot John Dory and Spanish Dancers, in the summer months you will find lots of hunting fish searching their next meal.
Wied iz-Zurrieq is also one of the best spots for diving Malta at night. In the rocky boulder bottom there are thousands of hiding spots, home to large numbers of Moray Eels, Cuttlefish, Octopus and crab species such as the Decorator Crab and Anemone Hermit Crab.
Ghar Lapsi
About:
Ghar Lapsi is one of our favourite cave dives when diving Malta. With a very shallow entrance at the beginning of the dive, you can weave in and out the many exit points or travel through the full distance of the cave. All only a few metres beneath the ocean surface, this allows for the natural light working its way into the cave to glow in a surreal way. For sure the cave is the highlight of the dive but outside the cave you will find a shallow reef full of life and stunning colours and can be home to some real surprises.
Dive Sites - Gozo
Blue Hole
About:
The most iconic of dive sites in the Maltese Archipelago, located at the site of the former Azure Window is Malta's Blue Hole. It is a must do dive for anyone on Malta diving holiday. At a maximum depth of only 16 metres, within the Blue Hole itself, this is a dive site which is suitable for all levels of qualified Scuba Diver. It will be a massive hit with any experienced scuba diver or beginner completing any of our PADI courses. You will see stunning boulder fields, massive drop offs and impressive sections of wall dive, all topped off with an abundance of marine life, crystal clear waters and visibility rarely less than 30 metres. For the more adventurous scuba diving enthusiasts the site can also be dived to incorporate some of Gozo's famous caves and caverns which here are home to the more rare Conga Eel and some of the famous corals not usually found within the Mediterranean.
Inland Sea
About:
The Inland Sea itself is a small pond area about 50 metres wide and separated from the sea by the impressive cliffs and a unique tunnel which leads from the Inland Sea to the open ocean. The inland sea itself is very shallow but the highlight is always the tunnel towards the open sea. Starting shallow at only 4 metres it gradually drops to a maximum of approximately 25 metres at the far end and is a favourite spot for photographers. But you will struggle ever to replicate the stunning glowing blue in a photograph, it honestly has to be seen to be believed. Outside the tunnel, one can continue the dive along the cliff face with depths dropping significantly away from the shore line and you will regularly witness an abundance of large hunting life buzzing away out here. A favourite for all in Malta diving and a must on your diving holiday.
Although suitable for all levels of qualified diver, this site is a great spot to get a bit of added depth and complete your Deep PADI courses.
Reqqa Point
About:
At Reqqa Point, you dive along a large wall that runs down to over 60 meters, it's covered in sponges with lots of small fish. Alongside the sponges and small fish you will often find large groupers, dentex, rays, barracudas and if you look closely you can also find lobsters and morays. It may not be a dive for the brand new but so long as your buoyancy is under control this can be a really spectacular dive for all levels with stunning visibility and one of the busiest dive sites in terms of marine life.
Billinghurst Cave
About:
Close to Reqqa Point is one of the largest caves in the Maltese Isles, Billinghurst Cave. Enter the water by a ladder right above the cave entrance and decend straight to the cave itself, this site is known for the impressive colours created by the light entering the cave and also the marine life found within. It is not unusul here to find a variety of Eels and shrimp living in the darkness. With an average depth of 20-25 metres and with a very big possibility of not being able to see the caves exit point at all times this is definitely a dive for the more experienced diver.
Three Wrecks
About:
At Xatt L'Ahmar from a single entrance point it is possible to dive any of 3 wrecks. All scuttled at this point for the purpose of scuba diving, particularly when there is a wind blowing from the North West. All lying at 40 metres means they're only available for the very experienced or completing their Deep PADI courses. The MV Karwela, MV Cominoland and MV Xlendi are all former ferry boats which served the tourist industry around the Maltese islands and are still a real tourist attraction. As the boats were scuttled on purpose, penetration is very simple on both the MV Karwela and MV Cominoland, the MV Karwela is spread over two decks and the stairs between provide an impressive shot for photographers. The MV Xlendi lies upside down on the sea bed and penetration is forbidden due to the extreme dangers involved.
Dive Sites - Comino
Santa Maria Caves
About:
Located on the North West coast of Comino, Santa Maria Caves is one of Malta diving's top spots. They are an impressive collection of interconnecting tunnels and small caverns, with many an exit point always being visible and the colours glowing from each always a special sight. The boat will usually anchor in Santa Maria Bay and as you descend down you will be greeted by the local collection of Sea Bream which are used to being fed by snorkelers and tourist boats so will quickly rush to say hello in the hope of another meal.
P31
About:
Similar to its sister ship at Cirkewwa, Malta, the P31 is a former East German Patrol Boat which worked patrolling the riverbanks between East and West Germany during the Cold War before heading to Malta to work for the Armed Forces of Malta as a Patrol Boat. The P31 though is much shallower than the P29 with a maximum depth of only 20 metres. This means you can spend a long time on the wreck and with a few more accessible areas, you can penetrate right at the very Stern before working all the way to the very Bow. Lying in crystal clear waters a short distance from Comino's Crystal Lagoon the wreck is perfect for snorkelers too with visibility regularly over 40 metres you can even see the creatures on the sand from the surface.
