Dune Malta

Un sito di immersione perfetto per gli iniziati, che vogliono godere di una grande quantità di pesci e di una magnifica grotta preistorica in tutta sicurezza. In più è possibile ammirare il Villaggio di Popey, set dell'omonimo film del 1979.

Interest Cave & Reef Popularity Medium Depth 6m (avg), 12m (max) Qualification Beginner Shore access Easy Location 35.9596°N 14.3405°E (Exact) Anchor Bay is a popular shore dive site located near Mellieha on the northwest coast of Malta. Anchor Bay is a small inlet hidden between two cliffs, best known for the film set village built for Popeye movie, and the whole bay is sometimes referred as Popeye Village after the theme park. Shore dive sites in Anchor Bay are of course a large anchor, a beautiful cave, a varied reef, and a shallow training area. A small wreck is located further ashore. The maximum depth in the bay is around 12 metres; this easy dive site is suitable for all levels of divers. Anchor Bay is good for try dives and training dives, for the second dive of the day, and for night diving. The bay is popular place for swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing too. Anchor Bay’s cave, also known as Scorpion Cave, is a large cavern with a wide entrance and an airpocket. Even the less experienced divers can visit the cave. The wreck of MV Scotscraig is located about 500 m northwest from Anchor Bay. This is a boat dive; the wreck is too far to dive from the shore. Scot Craig was used in filming Popeye movie and is therefore also known as Popeye’s Barge. Anchor Bay’s entry/exit point is the concrete jetty on the south side of the bay opposite Popeye Village, and can be reached following a dirt road. The jetty has ladders inside the bay side. Anchor Bay is usually dived when the north-easterly wind is strong and prevents diving in many areas. Visibility in the bay can be very poor when the weather is bad. Beware of tourist boats and currents when diving in Anchor Bay. Dive sites in Anchor Bay Cave Scorpion Cave is the best dive site in Anchor Bay. Shallow cave with large entrance is suitable also for less experienced divers.The cave is located on the south side of the bay, approximately 150 m from the entry/exit point at the concrete jetty. Following the south wall out of the bay, the entrance of the cave is a bit hidden behind a massive boulder at 6-10 m depth, where the seabed is covered with them. The cave is completely submerged only for the first few meters, once inside divers can easily surface into the large air pocket to admire the beautiful dome-shaped ceiling. Scorpion Cave is a large shallow cavern with a wide entrance making it suitable for all levels of divers. The entrance is at 10 metres and the depth inside is 8 metres, getting slowly shallower towards the end the cave. The cave goes further in for over 80 m, and serves as a training place for cave penetration and navigation. Due to the wide entrance there is a stunning blue light inside and the exit is clearly visible. Divers can spot a variety of marine life in the nooks and crannies of the cavern. Anchor Anchor Bay dive site features a large anchor and its anchor chain. The anchor is about 3m in length, and lies on sand around 8m deep.The anchor is located on the north side of the bay, near the far end of the concrete jetty, around 8 m deep. The chain runs from the anchor towards the innermost end of the bay for several metres. The anchor is about 3 m in length, big enough for a diver to swim under it, and covered with marine growth. The anchor chain is covered in sand and marine growth in places, but is still visible. Divers often visit Anchor Bay’s reef and the cave, sometimes called Scorpion Cave, on the same dive, ending the dive in the shallow waters of training area protected by the jetty. Reef Anchor Bay reef is varied dive site with large boulders, swim-throughs, rocky reefs, sea grass meadows and rich marine life. Training area Anchor Bay training area is shallow sheltered place ideal for try dives and first course dives.

Also known as Pippo Interest Wreck Popularity Low Depth 30m (avg), 36m (max) Qualification Experienced Shore access Boat only Location 35.9864°N 14.3950°E (Exact) MV Pippo is a wreck dive in Malta. Pippo was a small fishery workboat that sank in 2004. The wreck is located off Ahrax Point near Mellieha Bay. Pippo is 18 metres long and lies in an upright position at about 35 metres depth. This is a boat dive for experienced divers. The dive time is usually quite short as the wreck is small and the seabed around is just sand. Although small in size, MV Pippo is an interesting wreck. Unlike other 21st century wrecks in Malta, Pippo was not prepared for diving before scuttling. She is quite well preserved with some fishing industry equipment still attached, like tuna cages at the stern. Penetration is also possible but there is not much space for divers to move inside the wreck. Marine life on Pippo wreck includes small fish, crabs, shrimps and nudibranchs, and sometimes a big grouper is seen on the wreck. MV Pippo wreck history MV Pippo was built in 1976 in Malta by Vella Boat Yard of Marsa and Philip Formosa. Pippo was a concrete hulled workboat, 18 m in length. She was initially a research vessel used for surveys, then transformed into a cruise boat. Later on Pippo was sold to a local Azzopardi Fisheries company and converted into a fish cargo boat for Maltese tuna farming industry. One day in October 2004 MV Pippo was returning from Comino to Malta with a load of tuna, when she suddenly began to take on water and sank soon afterwards off Ahrax Point. Several attempts to salvage Pippo were unsuccessful, and now the wreck lies upright on sandy bottom at a depth of about 35 m.

Great dive site for training and try diving with easy entrance and exit. Small reef and a flat sandy bottom with a maximum depth of 8-10 metres and a statue.

Also known as Sirens Harbour, Sirens Reef Interest Reef & Training Area Popularity Medium Depth 6m (avg), 18m (max) Qualification Beginner Shore access Easy Location 35.9523°N 14.4135°E (Exact) Sirens dive site is located in St. Paul’s Bay on the northern coast of Malta. Sirens has a shallow reef close to the shore with maximum depth of 12 metres suitable for all levels of divers. The varying rocky and sandy bottom is covered with boulders and seagrass, and the quay wall is home for lots of marine life. Abundant sea life such as moray eel, octopus, cuttlefish, scorpionfish and different wrasses and breams. Sirens reef is mostly used for practise and training area on try dives and diving courses, because of its shallow depth, calm and clear waters, and easy entry and exit from the shore. This is a great place for a refresher dive or practising underwater photography and navigation skills. Sirens is also a good night diving site. There are several entry/exit points in the area, either rocky slope with handrail, or ladders or stairs leading to one of the rock-cut pools, and swimming from the pool to the open sea through a channel in the rock. Beware of boat traffic if diving far away from the shore, there are small boats entering and leaving nearby harbour and bay.

Easy entrance to a sandy bottom at 3-5m, great for training dives when other sites conditions are not good. Head straight out to get a depth of 10 metres. Head right and it is possible to reach the coral lagoon in about 45 minutes and depths of 18-25m. There can sometimes be strong current to the right