Malta Scuba Diving – The Dive Sites of Malta, Gozo and Comino

We both learnt to scuba dive in Malta. Every weekend, I would go scuba diving with my friends at various dive sites in Malta, Gozo and Comino. All 3 islands have some excellent dive sites.
There are currently 77 dive sites located in the Maltese islands. You will find caves, wrecks and reef dives scattered around. The visibility is fantastic, probably some of the best I have experienced in over 150 dives worldwide.
Below is a list of the top dive sites in Malta, Gozo and Comino. We haven’t dived all of them. The ones we haven’t dived have been rated by fellow divers.

Diving in Malta, Gozo and Comino
Table of Contents
Rozi Tug Boat – Cirkewwa

I love this dive. This was the first area I did a deep dive and it blew me away. That feeling when all you have is blue all around you is amazing. The Rozi tug boat purposely sank in 1991 specifically to attract divers. It can either be a shore or boat dive.
The boat sits on a bed of white sand and is totally intact. This dive is for advanced divers only as the depth reaches 35 meters. My friends and I normally do two dives here with the second dive on the reef. We have spotted grouper, moray eels and stingrays.
Max Depth – 35 meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck, Reef
Access – Shore or Boat
P-29 Patrol Boat

This is another wreck dive in Cirkewwa. The boat was sank in 2007 and I am yet to dive it, even though I visit Malta at least once a year!
It is home to Barracuda and Stone Basses and can easily be reached from the shore. The wreck is 52 meters long and you can enter the boat from the engine room. This dive is for advanced divers only.
Max Depth – 37 meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck
Access – Shore
Inland Sea and Tunnel Gozo

This was one of the first dives Karen and I did together. The actual Inland Sea part doesn’t have much to see but the tunnel is a fun experience. As you dive through the tunnel you see this incredible blue coming from the open sea. It is a stunning sight.
The tunnel is around 80 meters in length and the depth gets deeper the closer you get to the open water. It starts off at 3 meters at the lagoon side and ends up at 26 meters near the sea. Once you are outside the tunnel the seabed is around 50 meters in depth.
Once you are out in open water you can dive the reef walls or carry on to the Azure Reef and Blue Hole. You need to be an advanced diver to dive this site.
Max Depth – 18 meters average, 40 meters max
Type OF Dive – Reef, Cave and Wall
Access – Shore
Scuba Diving in Malta
Cirkewwa

Cirkewwa is one of the most popular dive sites in Malta. The area has the two wreck dives that I previously mentioned, The Rozi and P-29 but it is also popular with new divers. There is an easy shallow learning area called Susie’s Point and plenty of interesting features to keep all levels happy.
Look out for the Madonna statue on your dive and the many swim-through tunnels. The two natural arches are also popular. This site is for beginners and advanced divers.
Max Depth – 5 meters average, 40 meters Max
Type Of Dive – Reef, Cave, Wall and Wreck
Access – Shore
Ghar Lapsi

Ghar Lapsi is located in the South of Malta and is popular with divers who fancy a change. This is one of the easiest dive sites to enter from the shore. However, walking to and from the car park with all your gear is a bit of a pain.
There are many shallow dives here. When we visited there wasn’t much life but the rock formations were nice. We also enjoyed going through the cave because it had many holes and cracks allowing in sunlight.
Max Depth – 25 meters
Type Of Dive – Cave, Reef
Access – Shore
Wied iz-Zurrieq (Blue Grotto)

Wied is -Zurrieq is another favourite dive site of mine and probably the site I have visited the most after Cirkewwa. Even though some places call the dive site the Blue Grotto the actual dive sites are 1km away. People don’t really dive in the Blue Grotto.
There are various dive sites in this area and the Um El Faroud Wreck which I will talk about after. I have dived the East Reef area which is a wall dive that can reach 30 meters. The other area I dived in was the West Reef & Caves. There is more to see in this area with boulders, sea grass, sandy areas and of course, caves. This is where I did my first cave dive.
Like a lot of dive sites in Malta getting in and out of Wied Iz-Zurrieq can be tiring. Try to get your dive school to drop you off as close to the sea as possible. You then can either do a giant stride into the water or go down the steps. Keep an eye out for boats because this area will be busy with tourists heading to The Blue Grotto.
Max Depth – 30 + meters
Type Of Dive – Cave, Reef and Wall
Access – Shore
Dive Sites of Malta
House Reef, Qawra

This was the first place that I ever scuba-dived. I went with my Dad, some friends and the dive centre I signed up with. I will never forget the feeling of sinking to the seabed and just breathing. Sadly, my Dad could not get used to the regulator so he went back up.
We stayed on the sandy bed until our guide was ready. Our buoyancy was all over the place because it was our first dive. Once we started I was hooked. It was only an introductory dive but being under the water for longer than a minute blew me away.
I can’t remember how long the dive lasted or what I saw but as soon as the dive ended I signed up for an Open Water and Advanced Course! This was also the dive spot where I did my first Night Dive. I was amazed at how different the dive felt.
Max Depth – 10 meters
Type Of Dive – Reef
Access – Shore
Karwela MV

The Karwela MV was a pleasure boat for tourists that was sunk in 2006 to create an artificial reef for Scuba Divers. Another boat (MV Cominoland) was also sunk.
The boat is around 50 meters long. It sits on a bed of sand with a maximum depth of just over 40 meters. This dive is for experienced scuba divers with deep speciality diving. The boat is safe to enter because they made lots of openings before sinking it. There are 3 decks so there is plenty to explore.
Max Depth – 42 Meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck, Reef, Wall
Access – Shore and Boat
MV Cominoland

Just like the Karwela wreck, the MV Cominoland is located at Xatt l-Ahmar in southeast Gozo. Normally divers dive the Karwela first and MV Cominoland second.
This dive is only suitable for experienced divers that have deep diving experience. There are two decks to explore on the MV Cominoland with east access to all. The boat is slightly smaller than the Karwela. You can access both by shore or boat. The boat option is probably easier from what I have read.
Max Depth – 45 meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck, Reef, Wall
Access – Shore and Boat
Wreck, Caves and Reef Dives in Malta
Blenheim Bomber

The story of this wreck is probably more interesting than the dive itself. The Blenheim Bomber is a World War 2 plane that was on a mission to Kefalonia in Greece when it was hit by an Italian aircraft. The pilot had to ditch the plane on the way to Malta. Amazingly the 3 crew members were all fine. Sadly the plane wasn’t.
It now sits at a depth of 42 meters, 500 meters off Xrobb l-Ghagin on the east coast of Malta. This dive is for only experienced divers only who have a deep dive speciality. There are strong currents here. Recent divers have said that the wreck is deteriorating and only the shell is left.
Max Depth – 42 meters
Type Of Dive – Plane Wreck
Access – Boat
HMS Maori

HMS Maori is the shallowest wreck dive in Malta making it ideal for all types of divers. The wreck is one of many World War 2 wrecks scattered around the Maltese Islands.
The boat was a 115 metres long British destroyer that sunk in Grand Harbour of Valletta by a German air raid attack in February 1942. It was later dropped in its current position in St Elmo Bay.
I have dived this dive a few times and it is perfect for showing new divers a wreck that is easy to dive. There aren’t many places where you can dive on a world war 2 wrecks at such shallow depths.
The boat itself is pretty broken up but it still makes for an interesting dive.
Max Depth – 16 Meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck
Access – Shore
The Best Dive Site In Malta
Um El Faroud – Oil Tanker

This dive is rated one of the best dives in Malta. The Um El Faroud was an oil tanker that sadly exploded in Valletta Harbour. You can see a memorial plaque at a depth of 25 meters on your way to the wreck.
The boat was sunk in 1998 and lies at a depth of 36 meters. This dive is for advanced divers only. Normally, there is a pack of Barracudas guarding the site. The overall length of Um El Faroud is 110 m with a beam of about 16 m. So it’s got a lot to explore.
I am yet to dive this site. The next time I visit Malta, I am heading down to it for sure.
Max Depth – 36 meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck
Access – Shore
Mosquito Fighter Bomber

This plane wreck is located about 500 m off the coast of Delimara Point on the east side of Malta. It crashed in 1949 trying to get back to Hal Far Airfield after encountering engine problems.
The dive is only for experienced deep divers only because of the depth of the wreck and strong currents. Part of the plane was made of wood which has long gone but the aluminium section is still visible.
Max Depth – 42 Meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck
Access – Boat
Tugboat 2
This is one of the newest wreck dives in Malta. Located just off from Exiles in Sliema, Tug Boat 2 sits at a depth of 25 meters and is an easy dive for advanced divers.
It is a shore dive but keep an eye out for boat traffic because this area is popular. Take a buoy with you. Just like the Rozi dive you can enter Tug Boat 2 to swim through the wheelhouse and engine room.
The boat is 30 m in length and 9.5 m in height without the mast.
Max Depth – 25 meters
Type of Dive – Wreck
Access – Shore
Malta Diving Trips
Imperial Eagle and Statue Of Christ

MV Imperial Eagle is a former ferry boat that used to work between Malta and Gozo. It was sunk in 1999 to create an artificial reef and is located just off Qawra in North East Malta.
The boat is 45 meters long with a beam of 9.2 meters. The deck lies at 32 meters with the boat reaching 41 meters at its deepest. 30 meters from the bow of the boat is a Statue of Christ called Christ of the Sailors. Its depth is 25 meters.
The wreck is open to explore with some rooms and corridors to swim through.
Max Depth – 42 meters
Type Of Dive – Wreck
Access – Boat
Lockheed P2V Neptune Plane Wreck

Another plane wreck site to dive in Malta. The Lockheed P2V Neptune is located 500 metres offshore Bahar ic-Caghaq on the northeast coast of Malta.
The aeroplane was scuttled in the late 1950s for a movie and was only rediscovered in 2015. It sits on a bed of sand and Posidonia Seagrass (one of the most important grasses in the med) at 32 meters.
The plane is broken up in parts with some of the wings half buried in the sand. By the way, the film is called The Silent Enemy.
Max Depth – 32 meters
Type of Dive – Wreck Dive
Access – Boat
Scuba Diving In Malta and Gozo

There are many more dive sites in Malta. A lot of them are for technical diving. I will add more diving spots in the future.
You will find plenty of dive centres on the islands. Malta is a great place to learn to scuba dive. It might not have much marine life but the visibility is good and the sea is warm for most of the year. It is great for wreck diving. Check Padi for a list of the best dive schools.
If there is a dive site in Malta that I left out that you think I must include, please get in touch. Until then, see you under the waves.
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