Diving Sites in Malta
Malta and Gozo are home to some of the best diving opportunities in the Mediterranean. Several travel companies specialize in diving holidays on the islands, and there are a number of diving schools and dive centres all around the islands. Malta has some of the clearest waters in the Mediterranean, and although there aren’t as many species of fish as in The Red Sea, underwater life is abundant.
There are some famous and spectacular dive sites all around the coastal waters, and here is a list of just some:
- Wied Iz-Zurrieq (Blue Grotto – Zurrieq). Enter the water via the slipway on the headland and head out of the mouth of the bay and turn right to follow the cliffs. 23m down, you’ll find the first cave on the right. Keep going and and more, larger caves are just around the corner.
- HMS MAORI – Dockyard Creek, St. Elmo, Valletta. This is an 18m dive on the wreck of the ship that sunk the Bismarck. The ship went down in 1942, and there are plenty of entrances and exits for divers.
- Qawra Reef – Qawra. 500m off Qawra point is a reef that has many caves and a variety of sealife. This site is safe for divers of all levels.
- Tugboat Rozi – Cirkewwa. This boat was scuttled in 1992 and sits upright. This is one of the best dive sites in Malta.
- Caves and the Madonna – Cirkewwa/Marfa. Spectacular drop-off with a cave containing a statue of The Madonna.
- Ahrax Point – Marfa. One of the most spectacular dive spots with crystal clear water and massive Posedonia meadows home to over 300 species of marine life. There is an impressive drop-off.
- Santa Marija Caves – Comino. A number of caves with some swim throughs, and one has an open shaft making for some excellent photography. The caves are literally teeming with sea bream. This dive is accessed by boat.
- Dwerja – Gozo. With such natural features as the Inland Sea, the Azure Window and the Blue Hole, this is arguably the best dive site in the Maltese Islands. There are several dives in this location.
February 1st, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Thanks for promoting diving as a tourism niche worth shouting about here in Malta. Just for any readers to note, Malta is teaming with marine life, much of it rare and unique, but it’s still a fragile marine life. Divers, in fact all those who love marine sports (fishing, jet skiing, snorkeling etc) should know about the Voluntary Codes of Practice being set up to encourage us all to protect Cirkewwa, a marine biodiversity gem just offshore near the ferry terminal. It will take two years for legislation to declare it a sanctuary, but with us all heeding the calls for responsible use of Cirkewwwa (and other special marine sites in Malta we might add), we can save time and help save the islands’ amazing sea life today.
May 27th, 2011 at 10:04 am
Hi Guys, For yor info Cresta Dive Centre is going to hold its annual St Georges Bay clean up on the 1st of June. Everyone is welcome to help out, just make sure you are on the list (info@crestadivecentre.com), before May 31st. Free drinks and snacks will be provided by us. Thanks Casey.