DIVING

Our last post of our visits to Malta (and Gozo) is finally here!

In this post, we will share just some of the amazing diving spots you can find in Malta. While visiting Malta, Berto explored many wrecks and other spectacular sites … without further ado, let’s go diving!

HMS MAORI:

The wreck, the HMS Maori can be found at St. Elmo Bay close to Valletta. On the 12th of February 1942, the HMS Maori was moored in Grand Harbour, Valletta. An enemy aircraft threw a bomb during the early hours of the morning on the HMS Maori, after which she was abandoned and shortly afterwards an explosion followed. During that afternoon she slowly filled with water and sank.

A small fish can be spotted through a port hole of the HMS Maori

COMINO CAVES:

This dive site is situated at Comino Island (the small island between Malta and Gozo). Berto took a dive boat to get to the site and enjoyed crystal clear waters at an average depth of 12m.

A diver at Comino Island – one of the popular dive sites here
Diving inside the caves
Sea life on the reef wall
The little bay at Comino Island as seen from the dive boat

IMPERIAL EAGLE:

The Imperial Eagle was built in 1938 in England under the name of New Royal Lady. After a few name changes, she was sold to Magro Bros. in Malta and re-named Imperial Eagle. With an approximate length of 45m, it was the perfect vessel to act as a ferry between Malta and Gozo.

In 1999, however, she was deliberately sunk – about 500m from Qawra Point at a depth of 38m.

Exploring the upper deck of the Imperial Eagle
On the bridge at the ship’s wheel

A short distance away is the Statue of Christ – a nice extension of the diving at the Imperial Eagle. The statue is 3 meters tall and stands on white sand.

Divers over the Statue of Christ
A closer look at the Statue of Christ

L’AHRAX POINT:

This dive site is situated at the most northerly point of Malta and Berto again joined a dive center for a boat dive from Mellieha to get to this site.

The north reef has a maximum depth of 10m, but once over the edge, there is a drop off down to 23m. The South Reef Tunnel and Inland Sea has a maximum depth on the reef of 12m and the tunnel is reasonably shallow at 8m.

The L’Ahrax Point tunnel to the inland sea
Sun rays reflects on the reef
The bright colours of the reef
Divers going through small tunnels from the inland sea to get back to the ocean
Spotting fish on the sandy part of the seabed

SANTA MARIJA CAVES:

This is another dive site that is situated at Comino Island. There are plenty of caves, sandy and rocky seabed as well as an abundance of fish. This is a great second dive for the day, because the average depth is only between 10-16 meters.

Plenty of fish
A diver surrounded by fish on the sandy seabed
Diving in interconnecting caves
There are some interesting arches at this dive site
Divers having a look at the gentle seabed which is made up of sand, Posidonia (sea grass) and some small boulders

TUNA PENS:

Tuna farms are somewhat discredited and it is for everyone to decide if diving in them is a good or bad thing to do … though most divers that have done it, speak of an unforgettable experience.

Divers on a boat with one of the tuna pens in the background

The tuna farm pens vary in diameter from 50 to 90 meters and reach depths up to about 30 meters. Only a few dive centers are allowed to undertake dive excursions to this site (near Mellieha) and Berto joined Seashell Dive Centre to see what it was all about.

The boat nearing the tuna pens

Each of these pens holds around 200 tuna and range between 1-2 meters long.

Hundreds of blue fin tuna
Divers hanging in the water with tuna circling around

P29 PATROL BOAT:

The patrol boat P29 lies at a maximum depth of 38m off Cirkewwa. This vessel was built in the 1960’s in East Germany and her duty was primarily that of a minesweeper. From 1997 until 2004, the P29 patrolled the coastal waters of the Maltese Islands.

In 2005 she was sold to the Malta Tourism Authority and was finally scuttled in 2007 to serve as a diver attraction.

Berto diving the P29

UM EL FAROUD:

The ill-fated tanker Um el Faroud has been scuttled in 1998 after a terrible gas explosion on board killed 9 Maltese dockyard workers in 1995.

The wreck of the Um el Faroud can be found at Wied iz Zurrieq (Blue Grotto) and lies at a depth of 35m. This is possibly one of the best wreck dives in the Mediterranean.

Berto at the propeller and rudder of the Um el Faroud
A famous monument to divers – a statue of a diving helmet at a depth of 30m

And this is then the time, while looking back at the amazing diving sites at Malta, to say thank you to all of our readers for following our posts about Malta and Gozo.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these posts as much we did … and that you will be able to visit Malta some day – maybe even for a 2nd or 3rd time 😊.

We have done these trips in 2011 & 2013