Diving in Malta is an experience unlike any other. It’s an adventure where you will have the option of exploring decade-old wrecks, or scenic underwater caverns, with everything in between. With its warm Mediterranean water and being so accessible, Malta is a prime destination for tourists wishing to get open-water certified, or already certified divers looking for a few days of fundiving. However Malta has two main islands: the Island of Malta, and Gozo; it is normal for people to wonder (especially if they are on a tight schedule) if it is more interesting to dive in Malta or in Gozo. In this article we’ll look at both destination and give an objective viewpoint on the subject – with a small addendum at the end about the third island, Comino.
Diving in Malta
If you are diving in Malta, expect Mediterranean conditions (warm water, good visibility, meadows of seagrass, and various marine life) and expect to see a plethora of wrecks. The wrecks accessible to recreational divers (the shallower ones) in Malta are scuttled specifically for divers to explore: this means any tangle hazard such as old electrical cables have been removed. The most popular wrecks in malta are the impressive Um El Faroud (a 115m-long Libyan oil tanker) found in the south of Malta, and the P29 (An old German Minesweeper) and the tugboat Rozi Found in the Cirkewwa Marine park. A lot of wrecks are also found in the Grand Harbor but are less popular due to the poor visibility.
Diving in Gozo
Gozo is the smaller island, but don’t let that fool you! Although the conditions are the same (warm water, clear visibility) Gozo offers more interesting underwater rock formations and distinctive wrecks. One of the main difference gozo has from the Island of Malta is the fantastic underwater topology: from the Middle finger (a pinnacle which starts at a depth of 10m under the surface and goes to depths exeeding 100m) to the clocktower at Reqqa point (the northernmost point of the country, which protrudes from a reef-wall), without forgetting the magical Cathedral Cave (A cavern hidden behind a wall, in which you can surface and observe the most intense blue water you’ll ever see). Focusing on wrecks, Gozo has its own ship graveyard, which makes it a heaven for divers: Xatt-L-Ahmar, Also often called the three wrecks, due to three wrecks (four as of 2022) being scuttled there is the resting place of the Gozo wrecks, including the MV Karwela, the MV Cominoland, the MV Xlendi, and the more recent MT Hephaestus. However, if you think about one dive site that defines Gozo, the one dive site you can’t miss is the Blue Hole.
Which one is more interesting?
Although both islands have interesting dive sites to offer, it is widely recognized that Gozo has more “must-see” dives, such as the legendary Blue Hole & Inland sea, or the world-famous MV Karwela wreck with its photogenic staircase. Of course, there are also interesting dive sites on the island of Malta, but Gozo is in a category of its own.
If you are in Malta for a short stay, we strongly recommend that you prioritize exploring Gozo; if you plan a longer stay, we recommend finding a dive center in Gozo that also offers the option of whole-day diving trips to the Island of Malta: this will allow you to see eveything Gozo has to offer, without missing the highlights of Malta. – Ritual dive offers day trips in Malta where we explore the Um El Faroud, the p29, and the tugboat Rozi.
What about Comino?
Comino is the third -smaller- island of Malta. It also offers amazing dive sites such as Santa Maria Caves with its crystal-clear galleries, or the old german P31 wreck The reason we haven’t talked about it and compared it to Malta nor Gozo is because Comino is not inhabited, and there are no dive centers in the island. For this reason, most dive centers offer “Comino diving expeditions”, which you should not miss out in if you have the chance of joining one!
