Malta – the Jewel of the Med
Malta’s turquoise waters don’t just offer great visibility; beneath the waves you will find some of the Mediterranean’s most accessible and incredible wreck dives. Whether you’re newly certified or a seasoned explorer, you’ll find tons of shipwrecks, a mixture of marine life and incredible rocky structures and caverns. With warm waters, easy logistics, and a mix of history and wildlife, Malta is a wreck diver’s dream — and contrary to belief its not all too deep for recreational divers.
Having never visited Malta I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the main points when I asked my dive buddies how the diving in Malta is, was the rave reviews of the wrecks, the landscape and the incredible visibility. When I arrived, I had high expectations for the water clarity, and I was not disappointed. I can’t quite put into words just how clear the waters are in Malta, I could see the entire length of the P31 wreck, which is about 52m long, from 10m in front of the bow!
Diving here is year-round, although peaks in the summer and into September/October as this time of year typically has the warmest waters and calmest sea conditions. There seems to be no obvious low season, as many divers are prepped for long technical dives and bring their drysuits! We visited in early October, the water temperature fluctuated between 22-25c depending on the depth and dive site, but a perfectly comfortable temperature for diving in a wetsuit.
Day one involved all of the the usual paperwork and checking in to the dive centre, Paradise Diving, only a short walk down from the hotel, Paradise Bay Resort. The dive centre is in a great location, right on the beach at Paradise Bay, Ċirkewwa, at the northern tip of Malta. A great location for diving, with the wrecks of the P29 and Rozi within walking distance, and the ferry port for Gozo and Comino right there too!
The first couple of days we had windy conditions so dive sites were a little limited, but the dive centre did a great job at planning, and we headed south for the first dive. An hour later we arrived at Wied iż-Żurrieq, where a concrete slipway and ladders offer easy shore entry point for the MV Um El Faroud.
After a giant stride entry, it’s a short swim in the shallow waters covered, to conserve air, before reaching the wreck site. The descent begins over a sloping seabed, gradually revealing the shadowy silhouette of the Faroud. The wreck lies upright on a sandy seabed at a depth ranging from 15m at its shallowest, down to 36 metres by the stern. The stern if the first part of the whip which comes into view, we immediately dropped down to the seabed to explore the intact prop and rudder – it makes a great opportunity for a photo.
The wreck has wide deck openings, companionways, and access into the engine room for suitable trained divers. Visibility is typically very good, and the structure attracts a mix of pelagics and reef species, making it ideal for both wreck enthusiasts and underwater photographers. A rare site that seems to have it all.
Next on our list of Maltese wrecks was one much closer to our resort. Located on Malta’s northwest tip, next to the busy Gozo ferry terminal, there are two yellow marker buoys with incredible wrecks beneath. Underwater here it’s a diver’s playground, with two scuttled wrecks, natural arches, and a reef wall buzzing with Mediterranean life.
The first wreck we reached was the P29, a 52-meter former East German minesweeper turned Maltese patrol boat. This wreck was scuttled in 2007 and now sits upright at a max depth of 34 meters. Entry here is really simple, with plenty of parking options. The site like many in Malta, has a useful railing and steps for ease of access along with toilet facilities and importantly somewhere to grab a snack and coffee between dives. A short shallow swim from the entry point is guided by a memorial stone and an old anchor nestled in the seagrass, small but memorable landmarks that help to break up the swim.
The wreck itself is clean and full of life, with open compartments and wide swim-throughs. It’s ideal for training and photography, you can see why it’s one of the most popular dive sites in Malta. Large openings along the deck and hull allow you to swim inside the wreckage and explore, and the upright orientation helps to navigate. The patrol boat is still in great condition with some seaweed growth on the ship itself, but importantly it still has its deck gun. It’s actually the shallowest wreck in Malta with the deck gun still intact, a great photo opportunity to have your buddy pose beside it!
Just a short distance away lies the Rożi, a 40-meter tugboat scuttled in 1992. Though slightly smaller, it’s equally as photogenic. The depth is similar, with the deepest point around 34m. The entire wreck was covered in a shoal of black damselfish, with the occasional barracuda passing by. The deck fittings are all intact, winches, bollards, and the rudder. They are all still in place and often framed by schooling fish. The bow remains a favourite photo spot for me, with a fisheye lens and the smaller size of the wreck you can easily capture an image of the whole ship from the bow, and if you’re lucky some schooling fish for scale!
One of the most striking moments when diving in Malta isn’t the wrecks themselves, it’s on the swim back to the shore. As you leave the structure wrecks behind and head toward shore, the underwater landscape changes. Leaving behind a sandy seabed, huge rocky walls rise up beneath you, carved and weathered, with thick meadows of seagrass clinging to every ledge. It’s a reminder of Malta’s rugged landscape, mirrored below the surface.
These seagrass beds are teaming with life and the rocky walls allow for plenty more exploration opportunities as you decompress in the shallows. With incredibly colourful parrotfish, damselfish and the opportunity to see something larger like amberjack, trevally or tuna, and if you’re really lucky a mola mola…which the next group of divers saw and we did not. Typical!
Next up we will take a closer look at the wrecks and popular dive sites in Gozo.
Shannon’s trip was organised by UK-based dive tour operator Oyster Diving Holidays:
oysterdiving.com/holidays/europe/malta-gozo-diving-holidays
Email: info@oysterdiving.com
Call: 0800 699 0243
