Bubbles January - February 2013

T HE A T LA M SUBA QUA C LUB E -M A G A Z I N E

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013 NEW 2013 Atlam Committee Members :Nader Bassily Nicholas Agius Joseph Azzopardi Denise Baker Reuben Borg Anton Debatista Simon Ciantar

President Member Member Member Member Member Member

nbassily@vol.net.mt

IN THIS ISSUE

page

• Note from the Editor

2

• Website of the month - Dorian Law

2

• Hookah Air Supply - Dorian Law

3/5

• Species Page - Flying Gurnard - Edward Vella • King of Panama - Edward Sultana

6 7/10

• Dived Where? Mgarr Harbour Gozo - Dorian Law 11 • What is it? - Angler Fish - Alan MIzzi

12

• The Tug Boats - Edward Vella

13

www.atlam.org Cratena peregrina

Photo by: Tano Role

info@atlam.org

Editorial Note Dear Members, First editorial for 2013! I was about to say of the new year, but it has already lost two months, and so at the end of these first two months, comes the first Bubbles, which will be issued on a bi-monthly basis - at the end of every second month. That is, dear readers, you can expect the next issue to cover March / April – during the peak summer months there may a monthly issue, but by default it will be bi-monthly.

It is also that time of the year when the Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held. This year it was held on the 21st, and particularly significant, because to all intents, this should be the last meeting to be held at the Valletta premises - meaning of course that Atlam is now closing in on the day of its much awaited move to the purpose built premises at Bahar ic-Caghaq! The new premises, as might be anticipated, will make considerable inroads into the club’s financial resources – so how can one help? First of all the membership fee! Join all those who attended the AGM and regularise your position by becoming a fully paid member as soon as possible, after all, it is already February! Now once you have paid your membership, it follows that you have the club and all that it stands for at heart – and the club stands for diving activities, such as the boat dives. The boat dives provide the members with the opportunity to dive exciting remote places around Malta and Gozo - all resulting out of the considerable effort of less than a handful of dedicated members – so by participating, members would really find themselves in a genuine win win situation – you get a super exciting dive, and at the same time you would be helping your diving club. Watch out then for the boat dives..ah and yes, the social activities, you know… Majjalati and Barbecues!

And following the Annual General Meeting, please congratulate the new Committee!

At the time of writing this editorial, only the President is known – Nader Bassily, as for the rest of the committee members, their roles will be announced soon. Please see the cover for the names making up the new team. Congratulations!

Up to now the weather has not been very cooperative, especially during the weekends, but weather permitting a good number of members keep diving. For us locals, this is the cold season with water temperatures of 15 to 14 degrees - of course for those divers coming from more Northern latitudes, these temperatures give a hint of summer, but for the rest of us, we enter the water with as much neoprene on as possible. Anyway for those who are seasonal divers, a dive in deep winter is to be recommended (suitably kitted). It also makes you appreciate the simple things of life, like warm sunlight and a cup of hot coffee!

Keep Diving!

Edward Vella evella@onvol.net

www. Website of the Month.com Name of website: SurfaceDive Inc. (Sea Breathe – The Electric Snorkel).

Access to website: www.surfacedive.com Other access: N/A. Purpose of site: To promote the single or two diver surface breathing equipment better known as hookah. Their product, Sea Breathe is an electric powered hookah.

Features: The header features the name and logo of the promoted product on the left, with a six option menu bar that have further drop down options just by going over with the mouse pointer. The options open in new pages and the most important features are as follows: Home: Returns to home page from any page.

Dive Units: Single and two diver, float and deck units, accessories, quality and customer feedback.

Markets: Boater, resort and scuba markets are explored and also include customer feedback.

Resources: Faq’s, video and photo, in the news, quality, battery technical information, training and safety.

About Us: Company milestones and vision of the future.

Contact us: As the name implies. Making contact primarily by e-mail.

The main body of the home page contains information regards Sea Breathe 12 volt surface supply, what makes this hookah the best in the world and the company’s vision.

For more detailed and technical information on float or deck units, there are two options on the right hand side.

Why visit this website: If you are looking for a cost effective solution for shallow water diving or you are looking to buy a well-engineered hookah by a reputable company, then this is a must site to visit.

Read also article about Hookah on pages xx to xx

JOIN ATLAM SUBAQUA CLUB and share the fun & experience

Activities for Divers: • Shore Dives • Boat Dives • Night Dive • Diving Excursions Abroad • U/W Photo Competitions • Lectures on various subjects • Nitrox Courses.

• Free e-magazine

Activities for the whole family • Weekly Club Nights & Bar • Barbeques • Majjalata • Pasta Nights • Boat Parties • Gozo Diving Breaks • Camping on Comino and other places.

For more info contact the President Nader Bassily on 99499101

The Hookah Air Supply

by Dorian Law

Dear Atlam divers, Many of you might be asking what the word ‘Hookah’ means. Bear with me for a second and you will soon realize that this is a word you might have come across during one of your diving holidays abroad! It is now also becoming familiar in certain places where the younger generation gathers.

Hookah pronounced hukkâ or huqqah, originated in India or Persia. It is taught that it was a Persian physician at the court of an Indian emperor who first passed the smoke of tobacco through a small bowl of water to purify and cool the smoke and thus invented the hubble-bubble or hookah. A hookah, also known as a water pipe or Shisha, is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for smoking flavored tobacco, where the smoke is passed through water, contained in a flask, mostly made of glass, before inhalation. I think now you remember the hookah or shisha you smoked on your last diving trip to Egypt!

You will now be asking regards the connection between hookah and diving. Scuba diving gear gives the diver the ability to carry his air supply on his back and go anywhere he chooses, completely free of any ties with the world above the water. When a diver needs to be submerged for long periods of time, his options are to either increase the air capacity on his back or use a surface air supply. A surface tether is a means by which air is pumped from the surface by means of an air pump or compressor, down to the diver at various depths. The commercial or naval side of surface tether diving, more commonly known as hardhat diving, is the most known aspect of this kind of diving in the diving community, especially with the promotion given

by Hollywood block buster movies like ‘Man of Honour’.

When the cumbersome and heavy weight of the hardhat diving equipment is removed, the user will be left with a reliable, tried and tested means of sending air to the diver underwater.

The Hookah air system does not use high pressure air tanks but uses an air compressor located at the surface, powered by a petrol engine or electric motor. Thus, the diver has an unlimited air supply that is, until the engine or motor that powers the compressor stops running. The air is delivered to the diver via a floating air hose to a demand valve regulator or full face mask.

Hookah Air Assembly.

This consists of five main items namely; 1. Compressor unit – 2. Air reserve tank – 3 Air hose 4 – Harness – 5 Air regulator.

Compressor

Air Regulator Dual Air Assembly

Harness

Compressor unit.

Hookah compressors are small and lightweight, constructed of an aluminum alloy. A rubber diaphragm was and is still used as a means of air displacement.

Modern compressors replaced the rubber diaphragm with a piston and are capable of delivering more air at higher pressures than the rubber diaphragm models. With sealed bearings replacing the need for oil as lubrication and the use of Teflon for the bearings of moving parts inside the compressor the air that is delivered is pure, oil free air.

Although not all designs have a particle filter, a suitable particle filter (40 micron or better) is recommended to remove any solid particles that may occur. The power output of the compressor has a great impact on the size of the unit, the operating depth at which air can be safely delivered and also how many persons can use the unit at the same time. The greater the pressure or air volume demanded the bigger the compressor needs to be. For instance, a single diver at 10 meters needs an air volume of 2bar multiplied by the rate of air consumption whilst a two diver party would need twice the amount of air. If we take the air consumption at surface as 25 liters per minute, the demand from a single diver would be 25 multiplied by 2, which equals 50liters per minute at 10meters. The load for two divers would be 100liters per minute. For a single diver unit the compressor volume (piston or diaphragm output volume) would need to be far greater than 25 liters per minute. When choosing compressor size, it is ideal that the user’s working requirements be at 75% of the compressor’s maximum output, or lower. This gives the engine and compressor an easier working pattern and a longer life. Hookah compressors operate at low pressure, with higher capacity models providing about 10bar maximum pressure. A built in pressure relief valve prevents excessive pressure from building up when the demand on the compressor is low. This valve is usually factory preset slightly above the maximum operating pressure (depth rating) of the unit, thus allowing the diver to breath easily even under exertion, whilst leaving the compressor to run smoothly without working against the pressure buildup and thus continuously popping the pressure relieve valve.

Hookah diving system

Hookah diving allows recreational divers to go under water without heavy scuba tanks, training or certification.

Most systems available on the internet range from about ¢950 to more than $3,000 depending on the number of divers they accommodate.

The compressor Can be onboard a boat or on a floating tube

The air hose They are 3/8 of an inch in diameter and commonly made of vinyl wrapped with a nylon webbing reinforcement and covered with heavy duty PVC.

The harness Keeps air hose from getting in the divers way and helps prevent regulator from being pulled out of the diver’s mouth.

Sources: How Things Work; Keene Engineering Air Line Diving: Brownie Dive.

The weight belt Allows diver to descend and remain under water.

There are two types of power behind the compressor, each having their advantages and disadvantages. The most used are petrol engines. The main advantage is that the petrol powered hookah can be mounted on a floating tube, like a car’s inner tube. This gives greater freedom and range of movement. The disadvantages are the noise levels and the exhaust. Electric motor driven units are quieter and air intake is not affected by exhaust fumes, but due to their need of electricity, they are more commonly used as a boat deck-mounted unit.

There is a potential danger associated with the exhaust emissions of petrol powered hookahs, especially the floating type where the air inlet and exhaust pipes cannot be physically separated far enough. Deck mounted units afford more space to separate these pipes or position them downwind as required. Carbon Monoxide in exhaust is the product of the incomplete burning of any material such as petrol. It is an invisible odorless gas that contains carbon which gives no warning of its presence and deprives the blood of its ability to carry oxygen throughout the body.

When inhaled, it chemically combines with hemoglobin, reducing the oxygen in the blood and making the heart pump faster in an effort to supply sufficient amounts of oxygen to the brain and other parts of the body. With the lack of oxygen in the brain, symptoms like headache, dizziness and mental confusion occur. Lack of coordination, weakness, nausea, convulsions, coma and death are the causes of further exposure to carbon monoxide.

Air Reserve Tank.

The regulator Fits in diver’s mouth and regulates the amount of air for each inhalation.

Although not all hookah designs incorporate an air reserve tank, the user should be aware of the important functions of this item and what precautionary steps should be made if the air tank is not a part of the chosen hookah unit. The tank is an air reservoir that supplies a constant volume of air at all times. If you have chosen a small unit for your needs and you are breathing directly from the compressor, when diving under heavy exertion, your rate of inhalation might actually surpass the air volume provided by the

compressor and you would not get a sufficient amount of air. The volume of air in the reserve tank will supply the extra air required. It will also contain enough air to give the diver a safe time margin for an ascent should his engine run out of fuel or any other failure causing the compressor to stop. The reserve tank cools the hot compressed air from the compressor during expansion in the tank. This will also condense most of the water in the moist compressed air thus delivering a drier air than other hookahs without the reserve tank. On some models a water drain is also fitted.

What happens when the compressor stops running?

When the compressor stops the associated noise will stop and each succeeding breath will require slightly more effort. In a unit with an air reserve tank there will be more time for a slower ascent than a unit without the tank. In both cases, due to the non-return valve on the output of the reserve tank, the air in the hoses is under pressure and will increase in volume on ascent providing a few more breaths from the hoses in case of compressor shutdown.

Some hookah manufacturers also supply small pony scuba cylinders complete with first and second stage regulators as backup. These are smaller than 3litre in size and usually carried on the belt or harness or on the thigh where they are easily reached when required.

Air Hose.

The air hose is made of approximately 10mm internal diameter food grade vinyl plastic inner liner which resists the effects of oil, fuel and sunlight. This is wrapped with a nylon webbing reinforcement and covered with a heavy duty PVC abrasion resistant outer sheet. Hookah hose is designed to prevent kinking and collapsing that could prevent the flow of air being shut off. A quality Hookah hose will be colored bright yellow or orange, for a high degree of visibility. It will also float, so that any excess hose not actually being used will float on the surface, completely away from the diver, reducing the possibility of entanglements on the bottom. Air hose configuration comes in two options. In a dive party of more than one diver, one might have a hose for each diver coming out of the compressor. This gives relatively more freedom

of movement to each diver. On the other hand, the user might opt for a single hose coming out of the compressor and then split as necessary. The user can also have a combination of both types with a diver on a single hose and another group on another split hose. Split hoses vary in length from the split attachment and increase from 2meters upwards in 1meter increments.

Harness.

There are two types of harness, that is, a chest harness or a waist harness and a good hookah design always makes use of one type or another due to safety reasons. Many users use weights on the harness or a weight belt to be negatively buoyant when submerged. Hookah diving without a harness is unsafe for the following reasons; 1. The harness has a back plate with a non-return valve.

On a chest harness, this is positioned on the center of the diver’s back when the harness is worn. On a waist harness this is positioned on the side. The air hose from the compressor terminates at the back plate thus prevents potential entanglements around the diver’s body. The back plate also acts as a junction point for the air hose and the regulator.

2. The harness attachment absorbs any pulling of the air hose which would pull the regulator from the diver’s mouth leaving him without his air supply. This pulling could come from surface sea swells or passing boat waves and also from someone above the surface who might pull on the hose to get the diver’s attention.

3. The non-return valve allows the air in only one direction.

Should a burst or leak occur in the air line it could prevent a vacuum occurring in the mouthpiece of the regulator which would cause the diver to bread in a large amount of water that could cause panic.

Regulator.

A scuba regulator is designed for use with an air tank.

The first stage valve reduces the 200bar tank pressure to approximately 10bar. This pressure then goes to the second stage or demand valve. The second stage has

a spring loaded downstream valve which, driven by a pressure of between 8 and 12 bar, delivers air to the diver at ambient pressure. These regulators cannot be used for Hookah applications without modifications. A Hookah compressor operating at 3Bar will not provide enough pressure to drive the spring loaded downstream valve of a scuba regulator. The conversion can be made by installing a set of low tension springs which will give maximum efficiency when operated at low Hookah pressures.

Safety. Although a hookah user is not carrying his air in a cylinder on his back, he is still breathing compressed air and as such he must take care of all the safety issues regards breathing compressed air at depth like any scuba diver would do. These include breathing normally without holding breath especially during ascent, ascent rates, nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness.

Although the length of the pipe will limit the maximum depth, the user should consider the decompression time requirements by decompression tables. An approximate no decompression depth / time guide would be approximately 15 meters / 75 minutes.

Hookah designs vary from one manufacturer to another, but the principles described above are used to produce a diving apparatus that can be used by everyone.

So, if you are interested to know further about Hookah diving units I would suggest visiting the following websites. There are also some DIY plans somewhere on the web, but I will let the searching for those interested. www.surfacediving.com www.airlinebyjsink.com www.browniedive.com www.keeneeng.com

In the next issue we will have a look at surface tether diving; history, commercial and naval applications. Until then, ‘Stop smoking your hookah and start using a hookah’.

Species Page Research by: Edward Vella

Flying Gurnard

Bies/Garnaw

First place that comes to mind where flying gurnards (Dactylopterus volitans) are commonly found in Malta, is the sandy sea bed at the outlet of Wied iz-Zurrieq creek, particularly during night dives.

This fish is normally seen resting on the sea bed. On closer inspection it can be seen that it is not resting its belly upon the sand, but it is actually supporting itself on its oversize pectoral fins (those fins immediately behind the gills) whose shape permits its front end to be elevated. The fins are used by the fish to ‘walk’ on the sea bed.

This walking can be done by using the finger shaped inner front end of the pectoral fins, but to do this, the fins have to be closed.

This is where the flying in flying gurnard comes from – since once the pectoral fins are opened, they actually become wings or better still, wing like, since they do not function as wings would.

The flying gurnard is basically a bottom dweller, and has nothing to do with flying fish, which can do long spectacular glides above the waves. Another clue as to why flying gurnards were not ‘built’ to fly, is their heavy skeletal structure

A totally unexpected reaction! A quick glance at the accompanying pictures will immediately illustrate this.

I did not know that this fish is actually able to produce sound, which has been described as resembling the cry of a baby, or even the clucking of a hen. The sound is produced by a muscle which is made to vibrate against the fish’s swim bladder. Apparently this noise facility is also made use of underwater.

Flying gurnards (called Bies or Garnaw in Maltese), feed mainly on small molluscs and crustaceans which they sift from sandy sea beds. They are commonly found in the Mediterranean, and also found in the coastal waters of the Eastern and Western Atlantic.

There is another species of flying gurnard which inhabits the coastal waters of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Western Pacific.

Photo by Mario Micallef

– their skulls and the front part of their bodies have a thick armour of cartilage. Flying machines are lightly built.

It is thought that flying gurnards extend their fins in order to scare off predators. These fins once opened, are startling and quite spectacular with their iridescent blue borders and blue / yellow / gold spotted patterns.

Base photo by: Edward Vella

Photo by Joe Formosa

March Species ­- Shrimps (Gambli) PLEASE SEND PHOTOS

THE KING OF PANAMA Article & Photos by: Edward Sultana A trip to Panama was always on the cards and after travelling around Central America a number of times, this year the time was right to visit Panama.

The first thing that springs to mind on is the canal but Panama has so much more to offer as i was about to discover.

My time in Panama was very short and my objectives where very clear. Make my way down to Santa Catalina, meet up with Sultana Senior, fit in as many dives as possible and enjoy the New Year’s celebrations by the sea basking in the sun before continuing on in my travels. I had heard so much about the great diving in St. Catalina I just could not miss out and to have your own brother, diving instructor par excellence turned hotelier (or hostelier... ) was too enticing.

Guess like me few people would have previously heard of Santa Catalina but a quick google search will uncover the beauty of this tropical paradise. A tranquil fishing village on the Pacific coast at the doorstep of the Coiba National park,a full 430,825 acres of protected marine environment! (http://www.coibanationalpark.com/index.html ) Getting to Panama City is quite easy with a number of major airlines offering flights via most airports. My choice fell on a 12 hour direct flight from Madrid on Xmas day! What an amazing feeling to leave behind the cold of Madrid, to be greeted by the warmth of the sun in Panama. The following morning still not sure if I should be sleeping or not, I started my way down to Santa Catalina, a 5 hour bus trip to Santiago, followed by another 2 hour trip through the most amazing of landscapes to my final destination.

Contrary to expectations, the buses were punctual, comfortable and well organised. The background music of salsa and the traditional Panamanian music, the Tipico, finally made me realise that the holiday was really on.

The first impressions of St Catalina is pure text book, a pristine sandy beach, one road, small shops, with a few tourists and locals mingling together in a very laid back atmosphere. Santa Catalina Inn (http://santacatalinainn. com/hotel/) was very easy to find in this one road, no maps needed! So after some quick hellos and dropping off the luggage in the clean and spacious rooms, a swim was obligatory to wash away the pains of two days travel.

There are three dive shops in St Catalina but the obvious choice was Scuba Coiba, the first dive shop to set up in St.Catalina 10 years ago, with its strong Maltese links and fantastic owner Herbie and staff (http://scubacoiba.com/).

So it was time to get my first dives in so at 8 (ish!!) I made my way down to the dive shop right at the sea edge. Our instructor Ben got the equipment sorted while Herbie got our park permits issued. The rental equipment was well looked after and in great condition. I even had the leisure of using a brand new wet suit! Forget 5 mm, semi dries or dry suits. A 3mm would do nicely, thanks! So off we went on one of the fast fishing turned diving boats out to Isla Coiba.

The trip takes about an hour and a half, enough time to get to know the rest of the group which happened to be English, enjoy the scenery and on the lookout for anything interesting at the surface which included dolphins and turtles.

Our second dive was at a tranquil 25metres in an area re known for its high concentration of ray fish on the sandy bottom. Only the day before the instructor came across hundreds covering the sea bed. It was not to be on the day but still we were not let down!!! There was so much to capture our attention that the full hour dive flew past .

Never came across such a spectacle. In between dives we took a quick rest on Isla Coiba itself enjoying the pristine white sand, exceptionally clear waters and complete peace and tranquillity. Paradise??? No, but it does not get much closer.

The dives themselves did not let us down though the expectations were sky high. Our first dive was at Isla Rancheria, a small island close to Isla Coiba itself. After a detailed briefing by our instructor Ben we gently followed the shot line down to a depth of 30m. Visibility was good, with a gentle current throughout but the marine life was just breathtaking. Turtles (though my enthusiasm on seeing my first leatherback turtle was quickly dampened when it was found to be dead on the sea bed) reef sharks, mobula rays, massive shoals of amberjacks and barracudas, enormous moray eels, frog fish ... well the list could go on and on if only my memory could log on such a large variety and diverse types of fish. It sure proved to be a great start.

For the second day diving we were promised whale sharks and whale sharks we got. We headed off to a place called Wahoo rock. The visibility was poor due to the high concentration of plankton on that day. The lack of visibility only made it more surreal and besides coming across all sorts of fish our focus was one.... whale sharks. And the elusive signal finally came as the instructor pointed to the majestic creature. We were fortunate enough to come across 3 whale sharks that dive... brief encounters but amazingly intense just the same.

Still day dreaming from our first dive we soon headed for our second and who is complaining! Keep them coming!

This time the dive proved to be little more strenuous due to the strong currents present in certain areas. The instructor ably showed us the way around but in certain areas we had to fin real hard. Then again nothing beats the feeling of drifting effortlessly with the current. Again we were treated to an amazing spectacle of amberjacks, barracudas, reef sharks, it’s hard to describe. Photos make no justice to the beauty around . Now i can start to understand why this place has received such rave reviews. Reluctantly we had to make our way out of the water after delaying as much as possible. Thanks Ben ! Much appreciated.

After making the way back to Santa Catalina we all met up for the obligatory few beers and dinner at Chili Rojo (http://chilirojorestaurant. com/) . Herbie, Ben, residents and visitors alike enjoying some outdoor dining in a totally laid back and friendly atmosphere enjoying some beer and some Abuelo , Panama’s own rum ... and what fine rum it is!

Each with a story and an adventure to tell. Priceless!!

Besides diving, life at St Catalina as can be expected is very laid back.

During the day the heat can be very intense over the Christmas period so any ideas of walking or other physical activities are best done early morning or late in afternoon. The beaches around Santa Catalina are great for swimming but Santa Catalina is also world famous for its surfing besides for diving. A number of beaches offer great surfing with different levels of difficulty. As can be expected, we could not possibly miss out! After renting a board from Surf ‘n Shake and with the help of a great instructress we gave it a go. Results can be interpreted in various ways, ask politicians!! For me it was a great success managing to actually stand on the board for what seemed a very long time. The instructress was not too impressed. What is definite is that it’s amazing fun and a good laugh especially if you possess the grace of an elephant. Worth trying but I’ll stick to diving!

The evenings are very pleasant with excellent sea eating places and bars right by the sea. We happened to spend New Year’s Eve in St Catalina. The village took to the celebrations very seriously with people enjoying the event from early in the morning. Fireworks where set up on the beach at the stroke of mid night, while the village took to setting ablaze the munecos, life size mannequins made out of straw to burn away the bad memories of the past year. What a pleasant change to the more European way of celebrations! For the die hards the celebrations continued all night in the cantina. It was particular to walk past Christmas trees in summer clothes!

The third day diving was on the eve of my flight out of Panama so was limited to a one morning dive. This time it was an all maltese contingent, hiring our own boat and under the guidance of Adrian we headed back to Wahoo rock for more of the docile creatures. Again on our trip we came across a number of sea turtles dolphins and at rays flying out of the water. Unfortunately we did not get to do the dive at Wahoo point since the currents where particularly strong. So we headed to another small island next to Isla Coiba. It was my first experience with an underwater camera and the results are not great. Then again the feeling of having a camera underwater gave the dive another dimension. I am still contemplating if to my liking or not.

‘So laid back that we were almost horizontal - myself, brother Adrian, and diveshop owner Herbie on the far right’

We than had a quick lunch on the secluded island Granito de oro with its pristine water followed by some snorkelling. The amount of fish we came across was startling. Am i repeating myself? Never a type to give up, Adrian took us back to Wahoo rock for some snorkelling to spot more whale sharks The visibility was much better and the current tolerable.

Whilst seeing loads of rays, no signs of whale sharks on the day.

A week passes quick and it was the dreaded time for the sad goodbyes. Days fly past, memories last longer, memories I will carry for a long time to come.

Hasta pronto hermano, The King of Panama!

“Dived Where"!!!

Unfrequented dive sites of the Maltese islands, where you will ask your buddy ”Where’s everybody?”

Article by Dorian Law

Mgarr Harbour Breakwater Area.

Gozo.

Type of dive: Shore or boat dive. Air or Nitrox. Day or night dive.

Location: When coming from Ghajnsielem drive down Triq ix-Xatt towards the Gozo Ferry Terminal. When the street bisects, take the road on the right and turn right at the corner with Seaview Restaurant. If coming from Malta on the Gozo Ferry Line, turn on the first left just as you exit the terminal. Keep driving on this side road and park past the breakwater.

Access: From the rocky shoreline.

When Not to dive: When winds blow from Southwest (Lbic) to East (Lvant).

Depth: Up to 20 meters along the breakwater and 50+ meters offshore.

Current & Visibility: Photo courtesy of: www.Maltavista.com

Current very low to none. Visibility over 30 meters, reducing towards the harbour entrance.

The Dive

Entry and exit are done from the rocky shoreline and a small pebble / sand entry amongst the huge boulders is easily identifiable as the ideal choice from where to start the dive. The dive follows a Southeasterly direction where different drop-offs and sloping shelves guide the diver until the maximum depth is reached. The diver will then turn Northeasterly, following the wall on the left hand side. The ascent is made in a North to Northwest bearing where the diver will meet the cluster of boulders that make part of the breakwater construction. To best explore the whole length of the breakwater the diver should take a bearing due Northeast along the breakwater’s wall at a depth of about 15 to 20meters, while on the way back, diving at a depth of about 6 to 10meters keeping the breakwater’s wall on the right. This is also the ideal planned route for a night dive. For the more adventurous, another option is to walk along the breakwater and start the dive at the mouth of the port entry. Boat traffic is a safety issue when diving the area especially in the entrance to the port.

The information contained might not be accurate or reflect the conditions found daily at the site. More accurate information should be obtained prior to planning to dive these sites.

What is it ???

Photos by Alan Mizzi

Maltese: Petriça Kbira English: Angler Fish Latin: Lophius piscatorius The only time I had seen an Angler Fish was on Fisherman’s stall.

Therefore it was the last thing I was expecting to see, during a dive this January in Valletta. Swimming out from the HMS Maori, looking for rays, I spotted a pair of black eyes, almost like two black marbles placed in the sand, at 12m. The camouflage with the sand was so good, that even at a distance of half a metre, it could have been very easy to overlook; Luckily I did not! An awesome encounter.

The Tug Boats The No 10 & St.Michael wrecks at Zonqor Point Marsaskala Article and colour photos

by Edward Vella The St.Michael in her surface days!

Backdrop photo : Deck scene on Tug ‘10’ (so called because of large ‘10’ painted on her sides)

Tug St. Michael on the sand at Zonqor Point

With their useful life over, these two tugboats were laid up at Marsa next to the old power station, where weather and water played their ravages on them. Water seeped through, and eventually they lost the battle, and sank at their moorings, well rested on the seabed is more like what actually happened, because here there were only a couple of meters below them.

The subjects of this unhappy state of affairs were the tugboat “St. Michael” and the “10”. Like two old timers, the tugs must have told their stories to each other - the “St. Michael” was built by the Russel Brothers in Canada way back in 1944. She was one of 265 built by this company following commissions by the British Ministry of War Transport, and by the Ministry of Defence. Russel Brothers called these 19.81 metre long tugs Tanacs, which probably came about by placing the letter T for Tug, and part of the word Canada spelt backwards: T-anac? When the war ended, most of these tugs were sold in the countries in which they happened to be serving, and that is how the St Michael came to Malta… as regards the other tug boat,

the “10” not much is recorded. One source states that this 16m tug was built locally at the Malta Drydocks in the late 40s or early 50s.

They both ended their useful lives while in the possession of Cassar Shipyards, whose owner Mr Anthony Cassar, graciously donated the wrecks to the diving community, offering also to prepare the tugs making them safe for those inquisitive divers.

The two tugs were finally laid to rest at Zonqor Point at Marsaskala. This location was chosen for various reasons.

There was a need felt to create a diving focal point in this area – most of the diving takes place on the other side of the island, but at the same time, when the prevalent wind being the North Westerly, starts to blow, it eliminates all of these sites, but with these conditions, it is nice and calm at Zonqor Point. It also happened that the seabed is quite barren – no posedonia for the wrecks to trample upon, so in other words, the stage was set for a new artificial reef /s. The depth is about 20m, making the tugs also within reach of the not so experienced diver.

For anyone trying this dive for the first time, Peter Lemon’s excellent “Scuba Diving Malta, Gozo and Comino” is thoroughly recommended – follow the directions within, heading of 140 degrees from where the salt pans start on the Marsaskala side of Zonqor Point, and you really cannot miss. Once in the water, it will immediately become evident, that this will be a low visibility dive – that is a fact of life here. There is a lot of suspended matter in the water, making the wrecks appear like ghost ships out of a milky gloom.

The wrecks are covered with vegetation, and in that low visibility and flat lighting, they first appear like a very indistinct shadow, which will obviously start to materialise the closer you get. These are not large wrecks, but they have a lot of character, especially the St Michael, giving the impression that you have stumbled upon some long forgotten wreck.

So next time the North West is blowing double digit knots, you know where to head to!