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DIVING
BEST DIVING SITES BY BOAT The Maltese islands are in their element in the summer: blue seas as far as the horizon, blue skies that don’t fade until late, and a sun so bright and constant that every day that dawns is a good day for being out on the water. The harbours and coasts in Malta are dotted throughout with boats, and you can’t go too far in any one direction before you come across a stretch of beach or pier or bright blue sea. Le Polynesien
With summer, on us, and the heat showing no sign of slowing down, being out on the water day in and day out is an excellent way to keep
A First World War French ocean liner, SS
yourself occupied and get in some much-
Polynesian was sunk by a torpedo in 1918
needed sight-seeing that you might not find
and rested around 3km east of Marsaskala.
written down on any guided tour or map.
For having lain underneath the water for more Fairey Swordfish
Malta is host to some incredible natural
than a hundred years, SS Polynesian is in good shape and can be explored at less of a risk,
surroundings: beyond the old citadels, the
though caution should always be exercised in
catacombs, and the vast, sweeping openness
been reclaimed by both sea life and the sea.
the case of diving. From the outside, you’ll be
of the north, there’s also bristling ecosystems
Approximately 5KM off the Sliema coast, it’s
able to see the front deck cannon and anchor,
of fish underneath the surface of the sea,
not the most comfortable dive for beginners
as well as the cargo bay, propeller, and stern
hidden sea-caves, and a wealth of underwater
and had best be left to people who have some
deck cannon. Make sure to take a torch to be
dive-spots that both the connoisseur and the
experience in diving already.
able to see it, and advise Heritage Malta that
hobbyist can enjoy. Furthermore, several these dive-spots are impossible to reach except by
Il-Qaws
a chartered boat. So, if you’ve already got your own, then you can spend a summer idling in the
Drive your vessel to the first inlet in Ras id-
Mediterranean, touring Malta alone but for your
Dawwara and anchor down; you’re in for a rare
crew, your family and friends, and the fish that
tour of one of Malta’s least-known diving sites.
eddy beneath the waves. Here are a few to get
Make sure to keep the cliff wall on your right,
you started.
and proceed inwards; while the entry point of the dive starts at 50 metres and deepens, the
Fairey Swordfish
Le Polynesien
further along the dive becomes shallower. Pack a torch: you’ll need it to identify the ridges in
Only recently discovered, the Fairey Swordfish
the cliff face and to catch a good view of the
was a biplane that fell into the sea in 1934
pink algae and nudibranchs that line this dive
due to catastrophic engine failure; the pilot
throughout. If you’re a photography enthusiast,
was picked up by the Royal Air Force air-sea
we also recommend a camera to take some
rescue service, and the Fairey Swordfish went
coveted shots of the deep. Please keep a
unnoticed until about 2017. It’s located at a
lookout for the tiny bluefish that have made this
depth of 65m from the surface and has since
place their home!
Il-Qaws
