The Maltese Islands
Map courtesy Maltaqua
Malta boasts some of the best diving in the Mediterranean with a wide range of shore and boat diving sites, well-established diving organisations and schools, a relaxed easy-going attitude, an infrastructure offering a choice of accommodation and a variety of activities for non-diving partners.
The rocky topography of the Maltese Islands, made up of Malta itself, Gozo and the uninhabited Comino, results in a rapidly shelving sea bed giving many opportunities for shore diving. With good visibility, warm water, underwater scenery including caves, caverns, overhangs and swim-throughs, no tides and few currents, Malta offers relatively uncomplicated diving for all abilities
THE DIVING
Malta
Shore diving is possible at many areas around the coast, many sites apparently marked by the proximity of a coffee shop. At Marfa Point in the north west of the island, it is possible to reach 30 metres in a shore dive, taking in a detour to see a statue of the Madonna placed in a cave by fishermen. Ghar Lapsi on the south coast offers caves while Anchor Bay near Marfa has anchors abandoned by the Royal Navy. Fish life is not overly abundant but octopus, squid, rays, flying fish, mullet, groupers and the occasional flying gurnard may be spotted.
There is limited wreck diving in Malta. The tugboat ROZI is a 40 metre harbour tug that was deliberately sunk in 1991. It lies between 32 - 36 metres deep and can be dived from the shore near Marfa Point in the north. HMS MAORI was sunk in 1942 and was towed away from the dockyard entance to St Elmo's Bay where she now makes an interesting dive from shore or boat at about 16 metres depth to the seabed. The CAROLITA barge was sunk by torpedo in 1942 and now lies on a steeply sloping sea bed between 6 - 25 metres and is an easy shore dive from Manoel Island. Finally, a Blenheim Bomber lies 800 metres east of Xorb Il Ghagin at a depth of 42 metres but is difficult to locate and will require a boat and the services of one of the guides who knows its location.
Gozo
Gozo is more relaxed again than Malta and offers similar diving opportunities. Billinghurst Cave at 40 metres on the north coast can be dived from the beach as can Xlendi Bay in the southwest which offers a swim through a tunnel into a large cavern. Off the south coast, the wreck of the Xlendi at 42 metres can also be dived from the shore.
Comino
Lying between Malta and Gozo, Comino is uninhabited and diving is generally from large day boats from Malta or Gozo. Irqieqa Point on the southwest tip is a cliff/cavern dive offering depths to beyond 40 metres while Ghemieri has a colourful series of caves and tunnels at 20 metres.
Hyperbaric chamber
There is a decompression chamber within St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, Malta. Contact: (00356) 21234765 or (00356) 21234766 or by dialling the emergency telephone number 196.
Diving Regulations
Diving has been closely regulated in Malta in the past but the rules have recently been relaxed:
* Divers must register at a dive centre prior to diving. Registration includes filling out a form of personal details and showing proof of qualifications (except for persons attending a PADI open-water course or equivalent; or a taster dive).
* Written consent of a parent or legal guardian is required for children.
* Divers will be required to fill out a medical questionnaire to show that they are medically fit to dive.
* Only qualified diving instructors registered at a licensed dive centre are allowed to offer diving instruction services.
* In some areas of the Islands, diving is prohibited in order to protect the archaeological underwater heritage. These areas will be pointed out when registering with a dive centre.
* Any archaeological finds must be reported to the authorities.
* Spearfishing is tightly controlled, and forbidden without a license.
* Fishing, from boats and trawlers, is strictly forbidden over designated dive sites.
COUNTRY FACTS
Getting There: Regular scheduled flights from UK with many chartered flights at holiday times. It is necessary to book flights early if travelling over school holidays. Gozo is accessible from Malta by boat from Marfa Point (25 minutes) or Sa Maison near Valletta. Helicopters also fly between Malta airport and a heliport in the centre of Gozo (15 minutes).
Entry Requirements: UK citizens require a full passport.
Climate: Hot summers and warm winters. Water temperatures vary between 10 and 22°C but winter/spring winds and rainfall rain can affect diving.
Currency: The Maltese Lira(Lm), referred to as the Maltese pound, is divided into 100 cents. Many hotels and larger shops and restaurants accept foreign currency. Exchange rates offered by hotels, restaurants and shops may not be as competitive as those available at banks. Most hotels and restaurants, as well as many shops, accept Access, American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club International, Mastercard and Visa.
Currency Control: Exchange controls have been removed but any person entering or leaving Malta carrying cash or other monetary instruments, the value of which is equal to or in excess of LM5000 or equivalent will be obliged to fill in the appropriate declaration form available from Customs.
Accommodation: Malta offers everything from luxury hotels to budget priced self-catering apartments. There is one official camping site in Malta, located at Dahlet ix-Xmajjar, near the White Tower, l/o Armier. The site can be contacted on:: (356) 2144 3386 or email: info@maltacampsite.com.
Driving in Malta: Hire cars are available through the normal European hire car suppliers or can be rented more cheaply from local garages. Roads in Malta vary in quality but are uniformly poor while direction signing on the islands is an inexact science. Some of the older towns have very narrow streets with little opportunity for parking. Local drivers have a relaxed attitude to indicators and lane discipline and buses and taxis offer a cheap alternative for the faint-hearted.
History
The first settlers arrived in Malta between 5,000 - 4,000 bc and many prehistoric sites are open to the public. The strategic position of Malta in the Mediterranean meant that most sea-faring nations visited the island at some stage. Remnants remain from Phoenician, Greek, Carthaginian and Roman visits. Saint Paul was shipwrecked here and lived for a season in a cave at Mdina - Rabat. In 870, the Arabs became the new rulers until being ousted in 1090 by Europeans and Malta eventually became the base for Knights of Saint John after their eviction from Rhodes in 1530. The Knights made an annual token payment of rent (the famous Maltese Falcon) every year and were responsible for constructing many of the fortifications around Valletta. Malta suffered the 'Great Siege' in 1565 when Suleiman the Magnificent attempted and failed to destroy the Knights.
Napoleon arrived on Malta in 1798 and evicted the Knights, only to find them temporarily restored by the British in 1802, Malta itself becoming a British possession after the Treaty of Paris in 1814. The Second World War saw a further siege and the eventual awarding of the George Cross to the Island before Malta achieved independence in 1964.
Non - Diving Activities
Given the thousands of years of dramatic history behind the island there is much of historical interest to see from prehistoric archaeological sites to the fascinating city of Valletta with its Grand Harbour and grandiose buildings.
The rocky nature of the coastline means that Malta has few sandy beaches but there are opportunities for many water sports including sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and fishing.
There is an active nightlife, particularly in the more obviously tourist areas and each of the 64 parishes celebrates its own Saint's Day with a festival. There is a wide choice of restaurants serving everything from traditional Mediterranean dishes to fish and chips at reasonable prices.
Valletta itself is worth several days exploration with its wealth of historical buildings and museums.
Cars can be hired for a reasonable price and the local buses and taxis offer alternative means of transport.
Gozo, traditionally assumed to be the island on which Ulysses was ensnared by Calypso, is smaller and more relaxed than Malta itself but offers correspondingly fewer activities for non - divers.
Malta Tourist Office
Park House
14 Northfields
London
SW18 1DD
Tel: 00 44 (0) 20 8877 6994
Fax: 00 44 (0) 20 8874 9416
E-mail: office.uk@visitmalta.com
Web-site: www.visitmalta.com
(The web site includes a detailed section on diving in Malta, including a directory to the most popular dive sites).
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BSAC TRAVEL CLUB BOOKSHOP SELECTION
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Maltaqua
Dive Deep Blue
Calypso, Gozo
Frankie's, Gozo
Dive Systems
Moby Dives
Zero Gravity
Malta - Paul Wright
Malta - Alex Liddon
Malta - Steve Jones
Malta - Jon Gunns
Malta - Brian Rayner
Gozo - Roger Barefoot
Gozo - Dave Barratt
Gozo - Richard Booth
Gozo - Derek Dear
Gozo - Dave Wilson, Mel Ford & Andy Martin
Gozo - Darren and Amanda Astles
Shore Diving Malta
Gozo A Gogo
Wreck Quartet
Stubborn After All These Years
Freewheeling
On! On!
Valetta
The harbour at Marsaxlokk
Grand Harbour
Comino's Blue Lagoon
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