IS MALTA A GOOD PLACE TO SCUBA DIVE?
The Maltese Islands are a superb location for a diving vacation and provide a wide variety of diving opportunities. Indeed, they are a diver’s heaven.
One of the best and most well-liked diving locations in the Mediterranean can be found in the Maltese Islands, which also include the main island, Gozo, and Comino. Most of Europe can easily travel there, the sea is renowned for being crystal clear, and when you’re not diving, there’s a tonne to see and do on land.
You can find numerous beautiful natural underwater structures, including caverns, arches, tunnels, and chimneys, when you dive in Malta and Gozo. In addition, there are artificial reefs developed on scuttled ships that can be visited.
WHERE ARE GOZO’S BEST DIVE SITES?
Despite being a small island, Gozo provides a wide variety of dive sites, from difficult technical dives for advanced divers to enjoyable and secure shore dives for beginners.
Additionally, Gozo is regarded as one of the top diving locations in Europe and boasts some world-class dive sites that are similar to those in Egypt and the Maldives.
Between Gozo and its smaller sister island Comino, there are about 50 dive sites. Divers with experience and certification can rent gear from one of the many dive shops in Gozo. While divers who want to have fun can book a variety of guided dives.
DWERJA BAY, GOZO
The famed Azure Window was located on the west coast of Gozo until its collapse in March 2017. The region is renowned for its stunning limestone coastline. Under the waves, the limestone landscape is as fascinating and allows for dives as deep as 60 metres.
There are numerous arches and caverns in the vicinity. A 35-meter tunnel that connects to the Inland Sea, a seawater lagoon, is one of the area’s top diving attractions.
BLUE HOLE, GOZO
In order to get to the Blue Hole in Dwerja Bay, one must descend some steps carved out of the rough limestone. It measures around 10 metres in width and 26 metres in depth. One of the best dive locations in Gozo, having a great experience and a tonne of marine life. You can explore a sizable cave at the bottom and exit through an archway onto the ocean.
REQQA POINT, GOZO
Reqqa Point, a peninsula on Gozo’s northern shore, is home to another extremely well-liked dive spot. The location has a parapet at roughly 30 metres and a 60-meter drop off. Life abounds in the nooks of the reef.
CATHEDRAL CAVE
The Cathedral Cave is a spectacular dive location accessible from Wied il-Gasri, halfway between the towns of Ghasri and Marsalforn. It is appropriate for divers of all skill levels. There are several methods to reach the cave, but the majority of them entail swimming underwater and traversing a slope covered with boulders to a big mushroom-shaped cave at a depth of 6 to 18 metres. In fact, you get to the surface beneath the enormous dome, where you may put on your breathing apparatus and start singing due to a tiny window above sea level.
WRECK DIVING AT XATT L-AHMAR, GOZO
Near Marr Harbour on Gozo’s southern shore is a little red sand bay known as Xatt l-Amar. In order to construct artificial reefs for divers to explore, three decommissioned ships were scuttled here at a depth of about 40 metres. These wrecks are accessible from the coast and present experienced divers with a difficult technical dive.
First to be scuttled was the MV Xlendi in 1999. Divers are unable to explore the wreck since it rolled over while being scuttled, making entry impossible. In 2006, the MV Karwela and MV Cominoland were scuttled. Both are upright and swimmable through because no windows or doors are present.
SANTA MARIA CAVES, COMINO
Comino is a little island sandwiched between Malta and Gozo and is encircled by a magnificent blue sea. Perhaps its most well-known feature is the Blue Lagoon, a protected inlet where snorkelling is excellent.
The Santa Maria Caves are made up of a network of caverns that are connected by natural light. You will undoubtedly witness huge shoals of sea bream as well as octopus and grouper, making this trip suitable for divers of all skill levels.
P31 WRECK, COMINO
The P31 wreck, which was scuttled in 2009, makes for a fun dive for divers of all experience levels. The wreck, which was once a patrol boat, is currently located on white sand at a depth of roughly 20 metres. While more experienced divers can go into the wreck to investigate the inside, novice divers can explore the outside of the ship.
WHEN IS GOZO DIVE SEASON?
The good news is that the Maltese Islands provide practically year-round diving. Gozo experiences warm summers and mild winters. Sea surface temperatures range from 16°C in February to 26°C in August.
The best times to reserve a diving vacation on Gozo are in the spring and fall. The sea is often warm at this time of year, averaging around 20 degrees Celsius.
