Diving in Malta & Gozo is a treat with crystal clear, warm Mediterranean waters and a variety of wrecks and underwater caves.
Diving in Malta, Gozo & Comino
Malta was declared diving destination of the year in 2018. Of course, this does not surprise us. Malta and Gozo have been listed as top diving destinations for several years and we know why. Few countries can boast having such clean and clear azure waters. The high visibility is coupled with warmer sea temperatures than you might expect in other locations. And then there are all the beautiful wrecks and sea caves to explore, with over 30 Malta and Gozo dive sites listed in SpotMyDive.
Quite simply, Malta and Gozo are a diver's paradise. Scuba diving is possible throughout the year, with May to September providing the best conditions. The conditions are also ideal to learn diving in Malta, and there are several highly experienced and reliable dive centres that will start you off with try-dives, and they offer PADI certification.
Mediterranean marine life
The main attraction when diving in Malta and Gozo is not a teeming marine life as you'd expect at more exotic destinations, but caves and wrecks. However, Mediterranean marine life is nonetheless interesting, and you can expect to see barracuda, octopus, moray eels, sting rays, groupers and nudibranchs. If you're lucky, you might even see turtles, dolphins, sharks and moonfish.
Above we can see the scorpion fish, which is highly poisonous so stay away. While Maltese seas are rather safe, keep an eye out for these dangerous sea creatures. Below, you can see a common starfish on a colourful bed of seaweed, coral and anemones.
Wonderful wrecks
The coast of the Maltese Islands is literally littered with interesting wrecks, some of them naturally sunk during World War II and others intentionally placed by the state to embellish the divers' playground. Here are some of the top wreck dives in Malta and Gozo.
This 10,000 tonne oil tanker measuring 115 meters was sunk to a sandy bottom at 31-35 metres to serve as an artificial reef in 1995. Located in the south of Malta, it is considered one of the best dive wrecks in Malta, teeming with marine life and with much to explore. Attempt this dive only with a local diver who understands the current conditions of the area.
The Karwela became an artificial reef after serving as a ferry from 1957 until 2002. This 50 metre ship was sunk in Gozo in 2006, and the wreck stands in a perfectly vertical position. It is considered one of the best wreck dives in Gozo.
P29 steals all the limelight from the nearby Rozi wreck because it has several interesting features, including an intact machine gun. The East German minesweeper became a Maltese Patrol Boat in 1997, and sunk just ten years later. P29 sits on a sandy bottom at 36 metres in a flat position off the limits of Cirkewwa in the north of Malta.
The Blenheim bomber is a rare treat of a dive for several reasons. It crashed violently after trying to land on its belly, losing its wheels and cabin, but the how or why of the crash remains a mystery. Its location is just as mysterious, and only a few dive centres know its precise location. Only advanced divers are allowed this dive, making it even more exclusive. Divers here are in for a memorable treat that includes colourful sponges, anemones, coral, lobsters and even turtles.
Extraordinary caves & natural rock formations
Malta and Gozo are also home to some astounding natural rock formations that make for unique diving sites. Here are a few of the best:
Considered one of the top dive sites in the Maltese Islands by many local divers, the Blue Hole can be approached in different ways with different depths. Start at a natural reservoir and swim to the open sea via a large arch. At the Azure Window, follow a vertical wall that is 60 meters deep and find the chimney that will lead you from 18 to 7 meters to admire the Blue Hole. Expect to be amazed by beautiful rock formations and marine species.
Enter the shallow Santa Marija caves from one end and exit on the other side, admire the multiple light reflections on the vertical walls and observe abundant marine life that includes nudibranchs, octopus, crabs, lobsters, eels, red mullets, shrimp and moray eels. This diving spot is ideal as divers of all levels can enjoy it.
Dive Reqqa Reef up to a depth of 60 metres to admire a wide variety of marine life: groupers, barracudas, lobsters, scorpion fish, moray eels and even a vertical wall covered with sponges. There are also some caves to explore.
Travel along an 80 metre tunnel connecting an inland sea with open water and be amazed by the light effects created by sunlight. Use a torch to explore the walls and watch out for the boats above. Once you emerge into open sea, see the reef at 30 meters and all its marine life, including octopus, barracuda and parrotfish.
Start your dive in shallow water and get to a wall at 14 meters, follow it to the first arch at 20 meters and then the second arch below at 45 metres. One of the best dive spots in Gozo, the area is rife with sea urchins, cuttlefish, octopus and scorpionfish.
So that's a heads up on the top diving spots in Malta, but there are many, many more! Just try diving in Malta and check them out for yourself, you'll certainly not be disappointed!