Bristol Channel Divers -

Bristol Channel Divers
Malta 2005

Club trip to Malta

Fiona & Simon Hampton-Matthews, Martin Glanvill, Paul van der Lem and Mark Siggins flew out to Malta for a bit of winter sunshine and diving. We were diving with Sea Shell Dive Cove, Mellieha.

We expected water temperatures to be the same as UK in the summer and weren't disappointed, but the weather was not as good as we had hoped! We did have sunshine but it was coupled with lots of wind, rain, hail and sleet! Luckily we didn't go a week later as Malta experienced gale force winds making many of the dive sites untenable.

Despite the wind, we did 10 good dives:-

The Beach Huts, Mellieha Bay - a check-out dive on the south side of the bay with some navigation practice.
MV Odile, Kalkara Creek, Valletta Harbour. An Italian steam freighter bombed in WW2. Dived twice. The water was warmer than the air temperature!
X131 lighter vessel (often mistaken for the Carolita Barge), Manoel Island, Marsamxett Harbour, Valletta.
Tug Boats St Michael and Number 10, Xonqor Point. Tug boats from 1944 deliberately scuttled in 1998 as artificial reefs and for divers.
Marfa Point and the Cirkewwa Arch, dived by mistake due to current sweeping us off course!
Wreck of the Tugboat Rozi, sunk in 1992 as an underwater attraction for tourists on submarine tours.
Kantra Bay (or Ta'Cenc), Gozo. Scenic dive on the southern side of Gozo, accessed down 103 steps!
Mgarr Ix-Xini, Gozo. A double cave dive from the beach of this inlet.
HMS Maori, St Elmo's Bay, Valletta. The destroyer that re-established radar contact with The Bismark. Bombed at its mooring at Dockyard Creek and subsequently moved as it was a hinderance to navigation. It was partly salvaged and scuttled in its present location.

We stayed at the Pergola Club Hotel in Mellieha.

Inside HMS Maori

HMS Maori

Hubert leads Mark & Paul to the entry point

Martin watches as Paul leaps.

Mdina with blue sky

Martin & Fiona inside Mgarr Ix-Xini cave

Respect Our Wrecks!