Wreck Dive, Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo
MV Cominoland was built in 1942 in England as a minelayer, and was originally named Miner VI. She was purchased in 1992 by Captain Morgan's Pleasure Cruises and used as a passenger ship, doing tourist day trips around Comino, before being scuttled in August 2006 (together with MV Karwela) to create an artificial reef for scuba divers.
The wreck is around 35m long and sits in an upright position on a sandy seabed, with a maximum depth of 41m. She has two decks at 32m and 35m that offer plenty of potential for exploration, and is relatively safe to penetrate thanks to openings cut out before the sinking.
The minelaying equipment near the stern remains intact and makes for an interesting historical feature.
Xatt l-Ahmar wrecks
The Cominoland lies about 60m to the east of its closest neighbour, the Karwela, and about 100m to the west of the Hephaestus, an oil tanker scuttled in 2022. Further west of the Karwela lies the Xlendi, a ferry which was sunk upside-down in 1999. These four wrecks at Xatt l-Ahmar are the only commonly-dived wrecks in Gozo.
Experience needed
You must be certified to dive to a depth of 40 metres to dive this site. If you wish to penetrate the wreck you will need a Wreck Diver certification. We would also strongly recommend a Nitrox Diver certification to extend bottom times.
Dive site specification: MV Cominoland
- Location: Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo
- Type of dive: Shore Dive
- Max depth: 41m
- Minimum certification: PADI Deep Diver & PADI Nitrox Diver
- For penetration dives: PADI Wreck Diver