Diving in Malta: What to expect?
So you've been thinking of getting your open water and trying to find the perfect destination to get it. Or you're already an experienced diver and have Malta as your next diving destination, but don't know what to expect. Or are you scared of buying those airplane tickets because you fear you'll be disappointed by the dives? Let me explain in detail what you'll be experiencing as a diver in Malta and make you take that step and buy those airplane tickets!
What to expect
Diving in Malta may subvert your expectations of diving as a whole. Depending on where you've been diving before, the experience might be quite different.
The conditions may vary depending on when you are diving. In the summer, the water temperature is very comfortable and will reach 28-29°C on the surface dropping to a low point of 15° on the surface during the winter. Going a bit deeper, it isn't unusual for it to drop below 20°C even during the summer at a depth of 40m.
The visibility isn't as good as tropical water but can reach 25-30m on the best days. Of course, if there is a bit of turbulence in the water moving the sand around, the visibility might drop to 10ish meters, reaching a low visibility of 3-5m in the brackish water of the various harbors.
The fauna, although present, is not as prevalent as in tropical destinations, such as Thailand or the Maldives. That being said, on a good day, it is entirely possible to admire hundreds (if not thousands) of damselfish swimming around, with the occasional grouper or painted comber. Other peculiar sightings include octopi, morays, dolphins (although they are rare), and seals (also very rare).
Another cool fish I always make a point of being on the lookout for during my briefings is the Mola Mola. They are also part of the rare sights of Maltese underwater wildlife; if you're diving on a reef, keep an eye out for the open ocean, you might just be lucky enough to see one of them!
In my opinion, the main reasons to dive in Malta is the topography (in the sense of rock formations), the light play, and the rich collection of wrecks. Let me elaborate on each one of those points.
Topography & Light
The underwater topography of Malta presents several peculiar rock formations. On the coastal walls, you will often find small holes, creating swim-throughs, chimneys, and overheads. There are also several arches (such as Double Arch, and Cirkewwa Arch) underwater, making very scenic pictures.
When I first saw the rock formations in Malta, I thought there must be many cave dives to do. However, this is not the case. There are a very limited number of deeper holes that can be considered cave dives (such as Billinghurst cave), but most holes in the walls or rocks are just that: holes.
The reason why I listed topography and light in the same category is because the light present underwater in Malta works really well with the rock formation.
The light is like nothing you've ever seen. The sunrays shining through the water by themselves are reason enough to come and dive in Malta. When you combine that with the multiple holes in the rocks that lets a little light through while blocking the rest of it, you get a real spectacle of underwater light rays.
Another very prevalent phenomenon in Malta is the wobbliness/blurriness of water induced by thermoclines. This visual effect is very cool to experience and when combined with the light play, it will leave you asking for more!
Wrecks of malta
The real highlight of Malta is its wrecks. There is every kind of wreck you can imagine: From boats to planes to submarines (and even bathtubs, if those can even be considered a wreck)!
We can classify wrecks into three categories: artificial reefs (wrecks sunk on purpose to create dive sites), historical wrecks, which are wrecks carrying some historical importance, especially the wrecks sunk during the last two world wars; there are a handful of those in malta as it was a strategic point during those wars. Some historical wrecks off the coast of Gozo are 3000 years old. Of course, you need a special permit to dive those wrecks, and on top of this, they are pretty deep (100m+).
The last category of wrecks are the wrecks that sunk accidentally due to some kind of failure.
Which level I would recommend
The good part of Malta is that every person -regardless of their level- can find happiness! From the entry/beginner level, up to the technical level, there is a dive spot for everyone.
To fully enjoy the experience, however, I can only recommend pursuing the specialty from the agency of your choice that allows for minimal wreck penetration and deeper dives (40m) if you don't have it yet as the most interesting wrecks will be found at 30m or more!
Tec divers will especially find their happiness as there are several wrecks only accessible to them.
Best dives to do
I won't be able to list all the dive spots in Malta because there are so many, but before leaving you, here are some of the most notable ones:
Entry Level
P31
This wreck is accessible to all! Because of its max depth of 21m, even the open water, limited at 18m will be able to enjoy it fully! The only caveat is that it is only accessible by boat.
Cirkewwa reef
This marine park is for divers only! No boats, fishing, or spearfishing are allowed here. The reef has two arches on either side and multiple swim-throughs. This is one of the spots with the most active wildlife in Malta.
Cathedral cave
This cave is not a cave in the typical diving sense because there is no real overhead environment. You pass from the open ocean to a covered inlet where you can surface. The inlet only lets the ocean light through so you get to see a deep blue light like nowhere else. This dive is in Gozo and can be done by Open-Water divers.
Experienced
Um-El Faroud
This is the favorite wreck of many people. This 110m-long Libyan tanker lies on the southern side of Malta. A severe winter storm in 2005 broke it into two pieces. The wreck is so big that you need multiple dives to explore it all.
P29/Rozi
Those two wrecks, also situated in Cirkewwa are about 150m away from each other. Because they have a maximum depth of 36-38m, you need a deep-diving certification to enjoy those wrecks fully. In my opinion, they are some of the nicest looking wrecks in Malta.
Karwela
The Karwela is one of the highlights of Gozo. Famous for its very photogenic stairs, the Karwela lies at a maximum depth of 43m and requires some diving experience.
Middle Finger
Middle Finger is one of the diving spots that is welcoming to beginners while more experienced divers still can get something out of it! This pinnacle spans from a shallow depth of 15m down to a whopping 60m and abounds with wildlife.
Tec Level
Looking at the Tec level, malta is the place to have your fill of wrecks and deep dives. However, If it is cave dives you are looking for, Billinghurst and Bottleneck Cave may be your only option. As I mentioned before, there are some holes and cracks that can be used for training, but you won't find caves like in Mexico or Thailand!
If you're looking to do deco dives, a lot of the recreational-level wrecks are more interesting when adding a bit of bottom time (and therefore a little bit of deco). In my opinion, however, the real holy of tec diving in Malta is probably the Ultra-deep Wrecks, and the heritage wrecks as I call them: they are a group of wrecks with major historical significance and are accessible only by boat off the coast of Malta, Gozo, and Comino. The depth of those wrecks ranges from 30-ish meters to upwards of 120m. Those wrecks usually require a permit to dive.