Scuba Diving in Malta
General Info
Diving Info
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When to Visit
Diving Conditions
The months of July, August and September offer temperatures of up to 26° C/79° F, while the lowest temperatures are recorded January through March when the water temperature can drop to as low as 15° C/59° F. These winter months are also the coldest and windiest, and access to some of the sites may not be possible.
The currents in Malta are typically mild, manageable by divers of all levels. Nonetheless, you can expect strong currents on some of the wreck dive sites.
The visibility in Malta often exceeds 40 meters (131 feet) and it is generally good year-round.
Types of Diving
Highlights
Wrecks
The Maltese archipelago is renowned for being an excellent wreck diving destination. With not-so-spectacular reef life – not if you compare it to what you can see in tropical locations – the biggest draw for divers are probably the numerous wrecks, most of them suitable for advanced divers. Many dive sites have wrecks lying at depths of about 50 meters (164 feet) and the best wrecks are usually found at depths of over 30 meters (98 feet). There are a few shallow battleships and lots of mid-depth aircraft, submarines, and cargo vessels. Some of the best wreck dive sites in Malta include the HMS Stubborn – a 66 meter-long S-class submarine, Imperial Eagle – a former ferry boat between Malta and Gozo, MV Karwela – a 50 meter-long ferry boat, and Um El Faroud – a 100 meter-long oil tanker.
The Blue Hole of Gozo
The Blue Hole is a stunning dive site featuring a natural rock formation carved by the wind and waves over centuries. The dive starts in a fantastic 10 meter- (33 foot-) wide inland sea pool followed by a natural rock arch at a depth of about 7 meters (22 feet) that leads to the open sea. Along the Blue Hole is an area known as the Chimney, a fissure that can only be passed by one diver at a time. The chimney opens up to into the Coral Garden situated at a depth of about 8 meters (26 feet). On the way back to the surface, a big cave can be visited by those with proper qualifications.
Right next to the Blue Hole is the Azure Window, a new dive site that formed following the collapse of Malta’s iconic tourist attraction with the same name. Now, local travel operators are reviving the area by promoting the new dive site which indeed is impressive. Divers can now swim between massive boulders of whit and yellow limestone. This barren moonscape is slowly taken over by seaweed, algae, and other marine life.
Marine Life
Malta's marine life is rich by Mediterranean standards. Divers can spot groupers, wrasses, barracudas, stingrays, octopuses, lobsters, crabs, swordfish, red mullet, sea bass, sea bream, cow bream, dogfish, seahorses. Occasionally, the loggerhead turtle can be sighted in these waters. The common dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin can sometimes be seen on boat trips.
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