SCUBA May 2025 issue 155 | Page 60

UKDIVING TRAVELSPECIAL
In the shallows at the Blue Hole’ s exit point
Dive guide Melodie enters the tunnel from the Inland Sea
Going to Gozo
After losing a day to wind, Neville packed me off with the Frenchies, Raphael and Melodie, and we took the ferry over to Gozo, travelling across the island in the centre’ s trusty van. Our destination was Dwejra, site of the much-feted Inland Sea and Blue Hole sites. We started at the Inland Sea, a shallow lake linked to the sea by a tunnel. For centuries, it must have provided a perfectly protected harbour for small fishing boats. Today, it’ s a playground for divers, who share the space with tourist boats making the same journey through the tunnel. As you enter the tunnel from the Inland Sea, you pass through an area of shimmering light before entering the shadowy tunnel. The atmosphere gradually builds as you make your way towards open sea, and the subdued light gathers into a deep cobalt blue as you emerge on the other side. It’ s diving as theatre, a slow reveal of Maltese blues, framed by the tunnel exit.
Out on the reef we saw parrotfish, mauve stingers and – a personal triumph – a painted comber next to a colourful bryozoan. Fish photography is not easy in Malta, though I suspect a night dive would yield more opportunities.
We enjoyed lunch at a little café on the pebble shore; a Gozo salad for me, burgers for the gourmands. After that we jumped in the van and headed over to the entry point for the Blue Hole. The hole itself is about 10 metres wide and 15 deep, offering a sheltered spot for swimmers and freedivers, who test their ability by swimming down lines. Underwater, the Blue Hole has a cave section and is connected to the open sea through an opening in the rock face at about 7m. The interplay of water, light and shade make it a Gozo classic.
Moving through the tunnel, we headed for the fallen sections of what had been Azure Window. This area has been renamed the Azure Alps or Azure Reef, depending on who’ s giving the briefing. The collapsed arch has broken into enormous pieces, forming
A painted comber shelters behind a bryozoan
Returning to the Inland Sea
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