TRAVELSPECIAL
Pete Bullen ’ s Top Five Maltese dives
( in no particular order )
1 The Blue Hole and Azure Alps ( formerly Azure Window ), Dwejra , Gozo . This is the dive site that just keeps giving . When the rest of the island might occasionally have miserable 8m or 10m visibility , here it ’ s rare to see less than 25m . Quite often , you get visibility exceeding 40m – some of the clearest water in the non-Silfra world . There are swim throughs , spectacular topology and plentiful marine life – from hunting amberjacks and huge shoals of baitfish , shy congers and morays . You may also encounter passing pelagic fish such as blue fin tuna ; last year we even had a thresher shark , which scared the tourists .
2 Purpose-sunk wrecks of Gozo and Comino . I ’ m cheating here by lumping them all together . Gozo has three wrecks , two of which – the Karwela and the Cominoland – are always worth exploring . The third , the Xlendi Ferry , is less interesting and I rarely dive it more
than once or twice a year . All three lie in 42m of water ; so if you ’ re not prepared to factor in a bit of decompression , your time on the wrecks will be limited . The P31 on Comino , sits on bright sand in just 19m of water , making it a fine recently qualified OD experience dive ( the wreck mostly sitting above that maximum depth ). I love it for its photogenic opportunities ; it ’ s easy to do a 50-minute dive on this wreck without racking up decompression obligations .
3 Cirkewwa . The reef by the ferry terminal is a wonderful dive all on its own . A short swim offshore offers the choice of the P29 patrol boat , or the tugboat Rozi . Both these wrecks are at 35m . I also love the Imperial Eagle combined with the much photographed statue of Christ . The ‘ Eagle ’ is a deeper dive at 42m , and the prevailing NW winds haven ’ t done it any favours in recent years , but it ’ s still a satisfyingly shipshaped wreck .
4 Um El Faroud , Wied Iz Zurrieq , Malta . This huge tanker was damaged in a shipyard fire in which several dockers lost their lives . Deemed to be beyond economic repair , it was sunk here as another artificial wreck . Over the years it ’ s split just forward of the superstructure , but it ’ s still worth multiple dives , and offers new experiences every time . Normally home to a large shoal of barracuda , it shelters a huge range of marine life .
5 Wied Il Mielah , ( pronounced ‘ Weed ill mee-ey-lah ’). On the north coast of Gozo there is a second huge rock arch similar to the Azure Window , accessible only by boat . This is my all-time favourite dive anywhere in Malta . Crystal clear water ; dramatic scenery ; large shoals of fish ; two big caves and that huge arch towering above the water . There are beautiful swim throughs , dramatic light and even a little wreck – a motorbike . This is a dive to remember and treasure !
Overall , the Maltese islands offer a wide range of diving experiences . Our diving is easily accessible , with the majority done from shore . It ’ s excellent value , both in and out of the water . A week ’ s guided diving package of 12 dives , weights , cylinders and transport to and from sites is typically under € 200 . Six days of unaccompanied diving with rental of cylinders and weights is around € 130 . Accommodation costs vary from € 30 / night upwards .
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