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Diving on Um El Faroud
Plan your Um El Faroud diving in Malta
Text and photos Hubert Borg
Wreck history
Um El Faroud was built in 1969 at Smith Dock Company in Middlesborough (England) and was owned by the General National Maritime Transport Company in Tripoli. It had been operating between Italy and Libya carrying refined fuel up to the 1st of February 1995. On the 3rd of February 1995 it was docked at Malta dry docks. Nine workers were working on the Um El Faroud, when a massive explosion late in the evening rocked three cities and cast Malta into mourning. The explosion is believed to have been caused by an accumulation of gas.
The vessel suffered structural deformation and following inspection was considered a total writeoff. It had been occupying this dock ever since the explosion until it was decided that the best option to utilize its remaining value was to scuttle her as a diving attraction and to start her new life as an artificial reef.
The diving community chose Wied iz-Zurrieq as the best site to accommodate this vessel. An impact assessment was carried out over the seabed, and the site was marked. On the 2nd of September 1998 Um El Faroud was towed out off the Grand Harbour towards its final destination. After the ship was anchored on location, Um El Faroud sank after nearly a four-hour wait for the ship to fill up with sea water from 8 purposely fitted 4” sea valves. This scene was witnessed by thousands of people.
Wreck location
Today the Um El Faroud wreck can be found in Wied iz-Zurrieq, near Qrendi. It is 110 metres long, it weighs 10,000 tons, the beam is 15.50 metres and the height of the vessel from the keel to the funnel top is approximately 22 metres with a maximum depth of 36 meters. This site is dived most when other sites are dangerous, since it is sheltered by the valley of Wied iz-Zurrieq.
Wreck diving
The wreck is dived mostly from shore, specifically from a small jetty just down from Wied iz-Zurrieq. Divers need to swim out about 150 m at a bearing of 240° whilst watching out for boat traffic. A surface swim can be very tiring here, so descending down a few meters may be an easier option. This swim can considerably reduce available time to explore the wreck itself, so multiple dives, a twinset or enriched gas mix are advised, if you want to explore the wreck in its entirety.
The bearing will point you towards the stern of the wreck, which in good visibility can be an amazing sight as it comes into view. The intact propeller and rudder can be found at a depth of 36 m and is an ideal photo opportunity, the deck level is around 25 m and begins with the bridge superstructure. For divers keen on wreck penetration the Um El Faroud offers a lot of passages with relatively easy exits. Such passages include the bridge hatches, cabins and galleys, hatches on the hull just below deck and for the more adventurous, stairs down to the engine room, a shaft that goes straight down from behind the chimney right to the engine room, and a passage from the engine room to a frontal compartment which leads above deck and out of the bridge front. The holds are easily accessible following the blast that wrenched open the deck when the vessel was still in the docks.
Just forward of the bridge superstructure the wreck has split in half during November storms in 2006. This now makes the wreck a much more interesting dive, as it offers much easier access into the forward holds. The forward half is now twisted around 20° north towards the shore, and the area in between the two sections is prone to strong currents.
Reaching the bow you'll find a raised deck with access into the bow, which can be exited by heading straight forward and vertically up a ladder shaft onto the bow deck, making a nice swim through. The bow itself has a large anchor winch and mooring bollards, another common photo spot for visiting divers.
Divers might come across some squid and barracudas at the stern. The port side is usually teeming with large schools of sea breams, parrotfish and silversides. Sometimes one can come across the occasional scorpion fish, amberjack and tuna. The wreck can be entered fairly easily, but due to its size, this should be restricted only to divers with advanced wreck diving training.
As the ship is so big, you can easily lose track of time. Therefore, regular checks on your remaining deco time and air consumption are required! After leaving the wreck you might come across some strong current opposite direction, so make sure you have enough air for your return to the shore.
