Imperial Eagle

 Wreck Dives In Malta  Comments Off on Imperial Eagle
Apr 152013
 

Wreck History :

The Imperial Eagle carried about 70 passengers and 10 cars. It made its maiden voyage in 1958 and was taken out of commission in 1968, her claim to fame being the sister ship to Jacques Cousteau’s ‘Calypso’. After about a 15 minute boat ride, you reach a buoy. Heading down the shot line to about 25 metres you can leave the line and swim across a valley to the wreck. Like so many of the wrecks in Malta, the Imperial Eagle sits upright on the sand looking absolutely fantastic. We toured right the way round her and through her corridors, ending up in what was the wheelhouse, of which only the wheel remains. We then left the wreck and swam through a small open cave along to a magnificent statue of Jesus Christ which was apparently blessed by Pope John Paul in 1990 and placed on the seabed to protect the fishermen of Malta. We saw a large shoal of amber jacks and a lone barracuda. At our 6 metre stop there were two baby triggerfish to amuse us. Continue reading »

Ras Ir-Raheb

 Dive Sites Malta  Comments Off on Ras Ir-Raheb
Mar 222013
 

rasirraheb1The Dive:  

This site is situated at the North West point of the island, offering a depth of 70metres or more.  This has to be done definitely as a boat dive with the boat staying close to the cliff. There is a nice cave which is clearly visible from the surface. This dive is only suitable for the experienced divers and should be planned accordingly. If you keep following the wall, you will enter Fomm iR-Rih Bay with a depth of 20m

Continue reading »

HMS Stubborn – Qawra Point

 Wreck Dives In Malta  Comments Off on HMS Stubborn – Qawra Point
Mar 202013
 

The Dive: 
The HMS Stubborn was scuttled in April 1945 after she was hit from a depth charge and lost her tail fin. Stubborn has dived down to 166m exceeding the limit depth of 90m because of this she has damage the hull distortion. Royal Navy scuttled the sub for ASDIC target, training naval officers listening on sonar devices to detect the presence of submarines.

Continue reading »

The Arch – Cirkewwa

 Dive Sites Malta  Comments Off on The Arch – Cirkewwa
Mar 182013
 

The Dive :

The Cirkewwa Arch is actually a cavern which has long since collapsed leaving this spectacular arch as a result. The arch stands just before the drop-off in a depth of 18 meters rising all the way up to 6 meter below the surface. Divers often start at the protective reef nearby which is full of algae and posidonia. Pelagic species such as Skipjacks, Amberjacks and Barracudas are often encountered patrolling the reef in search of their next prey. Continue reading »

Zurrieq

 Dive Sites Malta  Comments Off on Zurrieq
Mar 182013
 

The dive: 
Your entry point will be from the valley by means of a giant stride entry. Here the seabed consists of rocks. Now you can either choose to take a route to the left or to the right. To the right there are caves and the wreck of the Um el Faroud and to the left it is a wall dive.  Continue reading »

Karwela

 Wreck Dives Gozo  Comments Off on Karwela
Mar 182013
 

The Dive:
Ideally dived from a boat but can also be dived from the shore. A shot line should be deployed if diving from a boat. Access from the shore is the same as for the Comino Land because the two wrecks are found in the same area about 100 metres apart. It is recommended that one snorkels for about 10 metres then the descent is made and the diver should swim out for about 60 metres to encounter the wreck.  Continue reading »

MV Xlendi

 Wreck Dives Gozo  Comments Off on MV Xlendi
Mar 182013
 

Wreck History: 
The vessel was bought by Gozo Channel in February 1990 for Lm327,000. The Xlendi was meant to serve as a cargo carrier between Malta and Gozo, augmenting the service provided by the MV Ghawdex (the latter is currently out of service as well). MV Xlendi was handed over to the Gozo Tourism Association to scuttle as an attraction for divers, after it had stopped operating in 1997. After a lengthy process to obtain a permit to sink her off Xatt L-Ahmar, on the 12th November 1999 MV Xlendi finally hit the seabed resting in a position which due to prevailing winds at the time of scuttling pushed the vessel off the selected and the desired position. Continue reading »

Comino Land

 Wreck Dives Gozo  Comments Off on Comino Land
Mar 182013
 

The Dive:
If diving from a boat, boat can anchor on top of the wreck and a shot line deployed. Access from the shore is by walking across a flat stretch of rocks and entry into the water is by performing a giant stride entry. Ideally you snorkel for about 10 metres then make your descent and swim out for approximately 50 metres until you see the wreck. The wreck can be penetrated in a safe manner as it has various openings. The wreck is lying on a sandy bottom so there is nothing interesting to see around the wreck. Although close to the shore it is not very interesting you may encounter shoals of bream. Watch your bottom time because of the depth as decompression time is easily accumulated.   Continue reading »

Ahrax Point

 Dive Sites Malta  Comments Off on Ahrax Point
Mar 182013
 

Ahrax Point is at the extreme northeast of Malta and the dive site is north of the Adventure Campsite. There are surface caves with tunnels inside and entry is via a narrow inlet, varying from three to ten metres in depth. After a ten-minute snorkel, you can choose between a reef full of marine life and the underwater entrance to a large cave. There are cardinal and other fish, brightly coloured corals, red sponges etc. This is best visited through one of the diving centres or accompanied by someone with previous experience. The maximum dive depth is 25 metres.

Continue reading »

Ta Cenc

 Dive Sites Gozo  Comments Off on Ta Cenc
Mar 182013
 

It allows for safe boat anchorage and is a perfect location to do a safety decompression stop, since this is a deep dive around the wall of the reef platform. Nudibranchs and lobsters can be encountered in between the boulders which dot the area. Shoals of damselfish, small groups of bream, a few grouper, lobster and parrotfish will be seen here. The walls are covered with algae, bristle worms, sea urchins and lots of starfish.

Continue reading »

St Elmo Bay – HMS Maori

 Wreck Dives In Malta  Comments Off on St Elmo Bay – HMS Maori
Mar 052013
 

Wreck History: 

Malta’s most famous and historical wreck, this World War II destroyer was launched in 1937 and saw considerable action in her life, including valuable assistance with the defence of Malta. However, in 1942 she received a direct hit as a bomb exploded in her engine room whilst in the docks.

Continue reading »

 Older Entries  Newer Entries