(26-03-10) Located in the middle of the Mediterranean, the Maltese archipelago accumulates history on land and transparency and awesome landscapes under its waters. An invitation to discover its charms.

    The Maltese archipelago is three main islands and many islets. Malta, the greatest and main island, where the international airport and the capital city are, and Gozo, in the North and the one with the best conditions for diving. Between them there is the small island Comino. Its location, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, defines its history and the marine fauna around it.

    Maybe the main characteristic, which surprises us the most, is clarity, almost always permanent in the water. It is something very different from the coasts in Spain. In fact, in some places some time we can reach visibility around 50 m, which is something that makes these waters be more similar to the tropical ones than to those typically Mediterranean. The absence of rivers, the lack of rain and its geographical location contribute to this.

    The geology of Malta, in part composed of lime stones, keeps the rainwater and is also responsible, along with marine erosion, for the spectacular coastal landscapes and, especially, those under the water. Arches, caves, caverns, “blue holes” surprise the diver.

    Regarding the marine biodiversity, maybe we should start by its flora, since another peculiarity of Maltese diving is the great proliferation of plants in the seabed. Most of the walls are profusely covered in different kinds of algae, creating a spectacle of great lushness and colour.

    Fauna is quite similar, the same more or less, to the one in our Mare Nostrum. We can highlight the frequent presence of the Sparisoma cretense, as well as another more tropical inhabitant: the fire worm, common in the whole area.

    As a curiosity, we can talk about the presence of white sharks in the area, as they follow the dispersion of tuna shoals in their migrations. During many time people talked about the female caught in 1987 in these waters. She was almost 8 meters long, which was a record in almost all the specialized bibliography. Further checks showed that she was really less than 6 meters. Anyway, a big specimen!

SEABED COVERED IN INTERESTING WRECKS

    Another fact that also defines the dive in Malta is its own history. Its strategic position in the Mediterranean has become these islands a passageway for all the civilizations fighting for this sea. So, the submerged archaeological remains are important, but they are always beyond the reach of the diver.

    However, maritime accidents or the consequences of the last WW have left the seabed full of interesting shipwrecks that can be discovered by the adventurous diver. Also, the sinking scheduled for enjoyment of the tourism are a good point.

    As for remains of wars, we have to highlight the English bomber wreck Blenheim due to its peculiarity. It was sunk in the southeast of the main island. It is very special to dive in the wreck of a plane, which is in very well conditions in the Mediterranean waters.

    The only problem is depth, as it is in the open sea, where it fell, 42 m deep. We can dive as well in less deep waters and see the destroyer HMDS Maorí, sunk by an aerial attack in 1942, 17 m. deep; or the HMS Carolita at 25 m. depth. Both are near the capital.

    There are several shipwrecks sunk for tourist purposes. For instance, it is the tanker Um El Faroud, which lyes 34 m. deep, or the tugboat Rozzi, one of the most known and famous of the archipelago.

    The tanker is located in the surroundings of the ferry station that joins Malta and Gozo. It is in the seabed 36 meters deep. It is in quite well conditions and it has everything except for the propellers and the engines, which were removed before sinking.

    Clarity of water, together with the white sand bottom were it lies, allows us to enjoy a very bright wreck, and its 40 meters length at one sight. Despite being sunk since 1991 it is not very colonized, but it is always attractive to fauna and if we are a bit patient we can enjoy some of its inhabi.

THE AZURE WINDOW

    As we said at the beginning Gozo, located only half an hour sailing from Malta, is the one with the best conditions for diving. One of the more significant dives, and probable one of the best in the Mediterranean is the Azure Window and Blue Hole.

    It is named after the huge arch over the cliff. An extremely beautiful coast where white on the walls highlights in contrast with the deep blue around it, leads to a curious "blue hole" on the coast. We see a perfect circle of intense hue, which gives us a sense of depth and mystery.

    This dive starts just in that deep hole. We go down through it while magic backlights dazzle us into a deep dreamlike image. Before getting the bottom we go out through one of its sides. We enter a theatrical dive where the important thing is the landscape. It consists of caves, arches, arcades, which, together with the overhead light of the sun, create numerous visual effects.

    We dive as if we were in a huge stage set that we go round in the purest weightlessness. Moving forward this magical frame we get the Azure Window, where its submarine buttress sinks.

    Groupers, moray eels, breams, accompany us in this trip, but it seems that our eyes are fascinated by the marvellous landscapes and they were not able to stop looking at the tiniest, just to the greatness of the unsurpassed underwater scenery.

THE MISTERIOUS TUNNEL

    Quite close to the Azure Window there is another interesting dive point. It is a geological singularity known as Inland Sea. It is a cave hollowed in the cliff that allows marine water to enter inside, making a small salt lake with undoubted charm.

    The dive begins in the lake of muddy waters due to the shallow sandy bottom. Bit by bit we go deeper and huge rocks seem to close our way. It is now when we start to see a bluish light in the middle of the darkness. We are in the entrance to the cavern and little by little we feel a spectacular contrast while the bottom, intense blue at the end of the cave, gets intensity. It is a large vertical slit cut that communicates the inland to the open sea. It is a spectacle of weird beauty.

    In the bottom of the hole, near the exit, 25 m deep, there is a pleasant surprise. Unperturbed by our presence, a John Dory, seems to stand guard in the underwater lair. Probably accustomed to divers, it allows us to enjoy its rare presence for a long time. It is a symbol of the treasures hidden in the Maltese waters, expecting to be discovered.