Dive Sites Maltese Islands (Malta)
| dive sites on Malta dive sites on Gozo dive sites on Comino |
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This old dredger is scheduled to be scuttled at Exiles, Sliema. Due to its size and dive location, this will be a wreck site for all types of divers. The Dredger measures about 28m long, beam of 10m and a height of about 8 meter and will rest on the seabed at a maximum depth of about 18 meter. |
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This old fishing trawler was scheduled to be scuttled in Cirkewwa, near the popular wreck Rozie. However due to the slow bureaucratic procedures, it is possible that another wreck will be placed on this site (one of the patrol boats). The depth at this site is at the moment 29.5 meter. This 23 m long vessel has a maximum height of about 11 meters so there will remain ample space to practice deep dives and keep the wreck somewhat exclusive for more experienced divers.
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These ex-East German minesweepers of the Kondor Class-I have been operating around the Maltese islands for the past 12 years and were recently decommissioned. With a dimension of 52 meter by 7.12 meter, these ships will definitely attract a lot of divers to our islands. The P29 & P31 are interesting because of their design & history. The boats were scheduled for Comino and Gozo but 1 patrol boat might take up the position of the trawler “Hannibal” so we have to wait a bit more before we will know their final positions. |
| Well known dive sites | |
| H.M.S. Maori
This British Destroyer was seriously damaged during the air raid of Valetta Harbor in 1943. As initial attempts to salvage the ship proved in vain, the Maori was stripped from weaponry & dragged to its final resting place next to Fort St. Elmo. Should you wish to penetrate the wreck, make sure you are properly trained. Maintain a good buoyancy and use a frog kick to keep the sediment down.
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You will see some nice groupers and an octopus on regular occasions. As the wreck is gettingg older, watch for sharp metal object as you might damage your equipment. On the way back, you will enjoy the vegetation on the reef border and as you swim back towards the exit point, you might see flying gurnards or bream varieties. As the entry point is shallow, you can easily do your safety stop while enjoying the exit area. |
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This magnificent Paddle Steamer was built in 1910 and was deadly wounded during an air attack in April 1942. After the war she was lifted (in order to clear the harbor) and scuttled in her present position at a depth of around 40meter. This dive is done by boat and offers a nice opportunity to practice your boat & deep diving skills. The wreck is easy to navigate and lays flat on its belly. It offers a good insight in the development of real wrecks as the Hellespont is not visited that much and has only been re-discovered some years ago. The ship has been partially covered by nets & fishing lines and harbors big Moray Eels, groupers & even a rare ray on occasion! |
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| MV Odile | |
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The MV Odile is one of my favourites as the
wreck reveals more of herself, every time I visit her. It offers the
opportunity for some nice penetrations and requires good buoyancy of the
divers, as the silt can quickly reduce visibility to less than 1 m. The ship has something mysterious and offers some amazing features which indicate the size of this former steam freighter (approx. 100m x 12m). Following the steep slope (covered with harbour debris), we arrive at the Odile after about 7 minutes swim. The depth gauge indicates 19 meter and we slowly familiarize ourselves with the lay out and start our discovery. If you dive from shore, most divers will need a 15 ltr tank to complete the ship before returning back to the exit point. It is a fantastic dive to practice your navigation skills, not dived often for the obvious reasons by most schools but really worth a few visits! |
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| HM Minesweeper “Eddy” | |
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“Being part of the 403rd Mine Sweeping Group
(Drifters), the “ Eddy” performed its mine clearing duties in Malta
during WWII. As she was a steel vessel of about 27 by 6 meters wide
(while other minesweepers were mainly made of wood!), she was not ideal
for her tasks. While returning from clearing a channel on 24th May 1942
(which was mined by Italian E-Boats the night before) the Eddy struck a
mine herself and sank about a mile off Grand Harbour entrance. Due to its depth (56meter), this dive should be made by very experienced divers only. As its position is in the marine channel for ships entering Grand Harbour, this site is only accessible on certain days of the year. Therefore it is a special boat dive that involves a long decent along the marker line in the deep blue and deco procedures on our way up. Are you ready for it? |
| St. Angelo | |
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Originally named HMS Egmont, this WWII
Minesweeper sank in June 1942. She lies at a maximum depth of 55m
directly outside Grand Harbour and was only re-discovered on 23 August
1998. The dive represents a typical boat dive with a decent along the shot line. And a deco procedure after a thorough investigation of this wreck which lays flat on its belly. Due to its position in the maritime channel of Grand Harbour, this dive can only be made on specific dates and require permission of the harbour master. As a result, a beautiful, rarely dived wreck close to the dive base! |
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| E boats | |
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They were fast, manoeuvrable and dangerous.
Equipped with torpedos, mines and canons, they were feared by allied forces
for their deadly attacks. It is believed that “our” E boat (or Schnellboot) got a cookie of its own bakery! While laying mines South of the Valletta Grand harbour, it hit a mine and sank immediately. The impact was so big that the carnage was scattered over the area and with a max. depth around 40 meter, it created an interesting boat dive for us. As currents do happen on this spot, it is important to be well prepared and work fast on occasions. A smooth group entry and descend will be required in order to enjoy this dive. |
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 Length: 121m. Breadth: 22.60m Depth: 8.20m Other information: Displacement: 14,000 tons. Speed: 19 knots. Complement: 750. |
The ultimate dive around the Maltese Islands,
available for only the very few! Rarely dived due to its extreme depth of
approximately 115 meter. HMS Russell was mined on 27th April 1916 just off the coast of Malta with the loss of over 120 lives. The German sub marine U 73 is believed to be responsible for its sinking With an armament of: Four 12 inch guns in turrets, twelve 6 inch guns, twelve 3 inch guns, six 3 pdr guns, two maxims and four torpedo tubes, the HMS Russell, a Duncan Class Battleship, could stand its ground in any battle! It was discovered about 4 miles out from Grand Harbour on July 2003. The ship lays completely up side down (due to its heavy guns) and has the stern section missing. Some guns are believed to be scattered in the area. |
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This WW II “Hunt Class II” destroyer sank on
24th March 1942 as the result of a floating mine, East of Grand harbour
Valletta. As the ship broke into 2 pieces, it created 2 separate dives as the distance came too big to cover it in 1 dive. The bow section is the largest and lays on its starboard side at about 65 meters depth. The stern section lays straight up at around 72 meter. The HMS Southwald measured 86m x 9.5m (1050 tonnes) and had a top speed of 25 knots. Armament: 3 x 2 barrel 4” guns one at the bow and 2 aft sections. She also carried anti-aircraft guns, and anti-submarine depth charges. Due to its depth, this boat dive can only be made by Technical divers using Trimix or CC Rebreathers. |
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| Polynesia ( le Polynesien ) | |
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Described by journalists as one of the most
beautiful shipwrecks in the world, a dive on the Polynesia (also called
Plate ship) will be something to remember! With a size of over 150 meter, this former cruise liner was used as a troopship by the French during WW I. It was torpedoed in 1918 by a German U boot and sank to a depth of about 60 meters of the coast of Marsaskala. |
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In order to full appreciate this magnificent
ship, we recommend to plan this dive as a Technical dive. (The use of normal
air, although possible, will result in a short dive with a long deco).
Several dives will be needed to discover the wreck in full! Due to its size, you can just float over its deck and be completely happy. Or penetrate its structure looking for the ultimate thrill and….maybe…its true Identity(!) cause that is still not officially confirmed.
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The No.10 & St. Michael
Tugboats are laying behind each other at the center of the harbor entrance.
Entrance point is at the
Should you wish so, you can penetrate both boats but make sure you are properly trained (and have discussed this option in your dive planning).
On the way back, you will notice that you can easily do the safety stop while swimming towards the exit point.
| Blenheim Bomber Plane
The Blenheim Bomber is a plane with an unclear history. Whether the plane had difficulty on returning back to base or whether just dumped by its crew, we don’t know. The plane landed on its belly but lost the front of the cabin and nose wheel. |
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| As it is located of the coast of Sometimes there might be a current so it is important to hold on to the descent line and descent as fast as possible. Since the dive will reach just over 40 meters and as it is in “mid-water”, this dive is only available for the more experienced divers among us. Upon ascending, we will do our mandatory safety stop at a deco station. After surfacing, we will climb on board. Once we will have collected the marker buoy, we will leave the “Blenheim Bomber” to rest. |
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The Blenheim Bomber is one of the most desired dives in
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Just outside
Once we have explored the cave exit, we will turn to the right and continue our way along the wall. At the end of the reef (while reaching our non-decompression limits), we will swim back to the exit point on a more shallow platform (12m) and finally reach the boat again.
This site is known as a popular tourist destination (the “Blue Grotto”) and can be visited if you wish. As a result, the entrance & exit points are subject to heavy surface boat traffic. Make sure you stay on the inside of the buoys and you’ll be OK.
Once we descent, we will cross the valley. Depending on your
preference and dive plan, we say goodbye to the divers who turn south and
continue their way to the Um El Faroud wreck. We however will descent further and
visit the “
Afterwards we continue our way along the wall, where we will find another cave. After this we will start our way back. The area is know as “The Aquarium” as you will find so many different kinds of species. As a result the area is also popular as a night dive spot because you don’t have to go deep to see beautiful sea life.
| Um El Faroud
In September 1998, the Um El Faroud (10.000 tons and 110 meter long!) was shuttled approximately 140 meter from your entry point. The
ship had previously lain in The ship lays beautifully on a sandy bottom at max. 34 meter. |
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I can tell you in advance one dive is not enough to explore the whole ship. And believe me you want to go again! Whether you want to stay on the outside & roam around the cargo tanks, or enter the bridge and engine room it doesn’t make a difference, you’ll love it! After crossing the valley, we will swim at a depth of 10 meter till we reach the back of the tanker. We will have a good chance we will be welcomed by a schools of fish such as amberjack, hunting tuna or varieties of breams. Although the wreck is still quite new, you will be surprised by the amount of fish life it already attracts! As the ship is so big, you can easily loose track of time. Therefore, regular checks on your remaining deco time and air consumption are required! After leaving the wreck you might come across some current, so make sure you have enough air for your return to shore. |
| When we come back in the “valley”, we make our safety stop and surface carefully. | |
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This site is situated just underneath a parking area. After a steep climb down, we will enter the quiet shallow water. This entrance is ideal for try dives and/or new divers. Big boulders and lots of small fish will immediately make you understand why people take up diving as a hobby! New divers will slowly descent and make a dive on the reef at max 15 meter. |
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More experienced divers
will want to discover the cave
of This dive is ideal for divers, who wish to make long shallow dives. There’s lots of animal life here.
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| Anchor
“Popeye
For the dive, we will take another road down to the jetty from where you can see the tourist attraction. We enter the water with a giant stride into the water and continue our way south along the left wall. This dive is a shallow one but you will enjoy the fish varieties and large boulders on your way. |
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The visibility will improve once we reach the open sea. After approximately 10 minutes, we will reach a big cave at 10 m depth. You can surface here to enjoy the dome shaped ceiling. After leaving the cave we continue slightly further to see and swim through a small arch window. After this we will turn back slowly towards the bay again. Due to the vegetation and rock formations, you might come across octopus, small groupers, parrot fish and different kinds of rockfish. |
Although situated at a very popular diving area, this dive is not so well known. Most divers prefer (are suggested) to dive at the dive spots in Cirkewwa, such as “The Madonna”, Tug boat “Rozi” and “The Arch”.
As a result, on a nice summer day, many dive centers will
almost que to let their divers in the water. Reduced visibility and underwater
traffic jams are common. But never in “
We enter the water form the new entrance and leave all divers behind, turning to the left. After we reach the drop off, we descent to17 meter and cross the channel. Keeping the wall on our left side, we can admire the steep walls and many fish varieties. Halfway the dive we come across some big boulders, piled on each other. We can swim underneath some and zig zag slowly towards a big natural arch. We continue our dive towards the exit point with the wall on our right side. Big fire worms will crawl along the steep walls and many sea urchins will cover every hole in the wall. Finally we ascend again over the plateau and exit the water.
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The South West wall, near the Gozo crossing terminal in Cirkewwa, is a very popular dive area. Both beginners as experienced divers will find something of their liking here. |
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A “must see” dive is the “Madonna”. The site is named after a statue of the “Holy Mary”, which stands at the entrance of a small cave at 18 meter. The dive concentrates around a shallow plateau of max 10m, so ideal for new divers. More advanced divers will “fall” of the plateau till max 26 meters. However most interesting parts happen around 10 – 18 meter, therefore this site is also popular for night diving! The wall has several small caves, tunnels & swim through situations, which make the dive even more interesting. But the wall is so nice that you don’t really need them. |
| Lots of fish life is hiding in the wall such as conger eel or hunting fish such as amberjacks & schools of barracuda. Don’t focus only on the wall, if you are lucky you might even see a ray. | |
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The Cirkewwa Arch is situated to the west of Marfa point, on the edge of the reef at around 15 meters. It is basically a cave with no roof but a very nice one. Almost hidden, in harmony with its surroundings. We enter the water near the jetty and follow the reef wall towards the West. It is possible to approach on a deeper level but this depends on the divers preference. We will come across a small swim trough cave and continue (in the beginning) mainly over Neptune Grass. Sometimes you might come across some current but the chance of seeing schools of barracuda and a lonely Ray makes up for it. The Arch is impressive as we swim underneath it. Later we slowly swim back over the reef wall. Parrot fish and varieties of bream will accompany us on our journey back to the exit point. From the deep we might even see divers coming back from the Tugboat Rozi as this dive shares part of the route with this famous wreck. |
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Tug Boat Rozi, Marfa Point The Rozi (40 meter long) was sunk in 1992 to act as an
underwater attraction for tourist, while on a “underwater safari”. These
trips no longer take place but the Rozi remained beautifully in place and has
developed itself to one of the most popular dive spots in |
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| We enter the water near the old jetty and set our course
along the reef for approximately 15 minutes. You can swim directly, but like this
you can keep your orientation better and enjoy the dive more! The wreck lays at
36 meter but the bridge can be visited around 30 meter. The clear water will
allow you even to stay shallower and thus stretch your dive time. You can enter
on several places such as where the engine used to be and the wheelhouse.
On your way back, we pass a large anchor and depending on our air reserves continue along the wall towards the exit point. This exiting dive will combine many interesting aspects of diving and you will remember this dive for sure. The beautiful settings, clear water and fish life will impress you! |
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Image a cave of 30 meter with only part roof. That is L-Ahrax point, also known as the inland sea. Outside the cave, we more the boat in at approximately 18 meter water. After having discovered the sea contours with beautiful big boulders and small swim through situations, we will notice that the rock seems to have cracked open, leaving nicely covered channels wit lots of fish life.
Octopus, morey eel, parrot fish, together with (sometimes) big electric rays
make this spot even more beautiful. Finally we make the turn towards the cave. First things you will notice is beautifully covered walls and a spectacular light fall in the inland sea. As the walls are so nice we will surface quickly to obtain a good look at the area. After a few minutes we will descent again and continue our round in the cave, covering even small connected caves. We leave the inland sea through another
exit and slowly swim back towards the boat. This dive is highly recommended for divers, who appreciate nature’s beauty. |
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Another Maltese highlight is the war hero HMS Stubborn submarine. The sub lays in almost 60 meter of water and is thus only available to experienced divers with deep water experience. |
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The ship is still intact and in good shape, something you will notice as we descent. The water is generally clear and you will be able to see the ship from around 35 meter already! We can clearly see the torpedo tubes and the tower. Due to its depth, this will be a short dive with a decompression stop at 5 meter for several minutes but certainly worth the effort. |
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| St. Paul ’s Channel | |
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A short boat trip will take us to the
North side of Upon descending we will notice a platform at around 10 meter and a drop off till max 25 meter. The platform is home for several fish varieties such as groupers and parrot fish. After discovering the channel we finally will slowly ascend to the platform again. This site even offers a spectacular setting for more experienced night divers.
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Imperial Eagle
This copy ship of the legendary Jacques
Cousteau’s “Calypso” once served a ferry around the Maltese |
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| The wreck was shuttled several years ago and lays on a sandy
bottom at a few hundred meters of the Qawra coast in a U-shaped corner of
the reef at a depth of 40 meter.
The steering wheel is the best known photographic feature of this long ship. But the surrounding reef walls and statue of Lord Jesus will also make you remember this site. Around the ship we might find really big conger eel, while on the deck we normally find varieties of small breams and rockfish.
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While returning from the wreck, we’ll see some big groupers “hiding” in the corners of the reef walls. Due to its depth in clear “mid water”, we will use a descend line for guidance and slowly “fall” on the wreck. Safe penetration is possible, as the gangways are spacious and free from obstacles. While reaching our “zero time” we will ascend over the reef and pass from the statue. The descend line will serve again for guidance and for our safety stop. The Imperial Eagle is only visited by few dive centers (due to its position) and therefore special to visit. Its unique location has now been designated as a protected marine underwater park. |
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The steep drop off till 35 meter, just
of the coast in
The site is only known to few dive centers and that is just the way we like it! Once you have been there you’ll understand why!
| Bristol Beau fighter | |
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This night fighter had problems with vibration and loss of speed just after take off on 17th March 1943 and was ditched close to the Casino in St. Julians. It now lays at a depth of about 35 meter. You can still see its heavy armament…and the reason why it most probably had problems! The dive is a deep, boat dive. As usual, we will decent along the shot line & discover the wreck. Normally big conger eels and Moray Eels are watching us from the gun ports. The former 50mm guns prove to be an ideal home for them! Once we reach our bottom time, we will start our ascent and climb back on board. |
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Just outside the The site will reach around 11 meter maximum so we can look forward to a long and pleasant dive. Moray eel, octopus and several rockfish, besides the more common bream etc, are frequently spotted here in the small channels and swim through situations.
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| Carolita / X 131 lighter | |
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What was once thought to be a
simple supply barge, which was sunk during an air raid, appears to be the
only remaining wreck known of this design. The Lighter barges were
specifically designed for the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. The wreck can be dived both from shore, as comfortably by boat, as it lays at Manuel Island on a steep slope. The barge measures 30 x 7 meter and offers the opportunity for a thorough wreck inspection as we will gradually ascend along the hull. As the site is near the old hospital, the area is scattered with various artefacts on the seabed. Due to possible silting conditions, you should try to maintain a good buoyancy here. Maximum depth: about 22 meter. |
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