Dates: 23–30 October
Divers: Pete, James, Chris, Charlotte
Dive Operator: Dive Deep Blue
Accommodation: Seaview Hotel (Pete & James), Mayflower Hotel (Chris & Charlotte)

Arrival & Accommodation

We departed Birmingham Airport at 06:00 on Thursday, 23 October, landing in Malta just three hours later. Pete and I checked into the Seaview Hotel in St. Paul’s Bay — a standout choice with spotless facilities, friendly staff, and a swift check-in. Chris and Charlotte stayed nearby at the Mayflower Hotel. With a bed-and-breakfast setup, we explored the local culinary scene each evening, spoiled for choice by the abundance of restaurants.

Dive Operator & Setup

We dived with Dive Deep Blue, a well-equipped shore diving outfit with knowledgeable instructors and excellent onsite amenities. Though they offered full kit hire, we brought our own gear and only needed weights and cylinders.

Dive Log & Highlights

Day 1 – Saturday: Cirkewwa

Cirkewwa, located at Malta’s northern tip, is one of the island’s premier dive sites. It features natural arches, wall reefs, and two scuttled wrecks — Patrol Boat P29 and Tugboat Rozi — all within a Marine Protected Area.

  • Dive 1: 50 mins @ 18m, 22°C
  • Dive 2: 41 mins @ 22.5m, 23°C
  • Marine Life: Scorpion fish, Parrot fish, Painted Comber, Dusky Grouper, Salema Porgy
    Facilities included showers, toilets, a food truck, and dedicated diver parking — ideal for shore diving.

Day 2 – Sunday: Valletta & Sliema

  • Dive 1: HMS Maori (Valletta)
    A WWII Tribal-class destroyer sunk in 1942 by German air raid, HMS Maori was later scuttled in St. Elmo Bay. The wreck lies at a shallow 15m, making it accessible to all levels.
    • 56 mins @ 15m, 23°C
  • Dive 2: X127 Fuel Barge (Sliema)
    Originally built in 1915 for WWI’s Gallipoli campaign, X127 was later converted into a fuel lighter and sunk in 1942 during aerial attacks. It rests upright on a slope from 5m to 22m.
    • 44 mins @ 22.6m, 22°C
  • Marine Life: Stingrays, Red mullets, Cuttlefish

Day 3 & 4 – Monday & Tuesday: Blue Grotto – Um El-Faroud

The Um El-Faroud is a 115m Libyan oil tanker scuttled in 1998 after a tragic gas explosion during maintenance. Now Malta’s most iconic wreck dive, it sits between 15m and 36m and features expansive swim-throughs, a visible workshop, and vibrant marine life. Though the lower sections were beyond Ocean Diver limits, the upper decks and promenade offered plenty to explore.

  • Day 3 Dives:
    • 48 mins @ 31.8m, 22°C
    • 43 mins @ 25.7m, 22°C
  • Day 4 Dives:
    • 47 mins @ 32.8m, 22°C
    • 48 mins @ 34.1m, 22°C

Reflections

This was a fantastic four-day dive adventure with varied marine life, rich wreck history, and smooth logistics. The Um El-Faroud was the standout site, and the group is already considering a return — perhaps to Gozo next time for a fresh perspective.