Wreck Dive, Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo
The MV Karwela was built in West Germany in 1957, as a passenger ferry with the name "M/S Frisia II". Her regular route was to Norddeich, which she served for 20 years, carrying up to 863 passengers. She was sold in 1977 and underwent remodelling, renamed the "Nordpaloma", and relaunched in 1978. She was sold in 1981 to a company that went bankrupt 5 years later.
She subsequently arrived in Malta to undergo repairs, and 5 months later she was relaunched by Captain Morgan Pleasure Cruises as the MV Karwela, a popular tourist ferry around the Grand Harbour of Valletta.
She was scuttled in August 2006 together with MV Cominoland as an artificial reef for scuba divers.
The MV Karwela wreck is about 50 m long and sits perfectly upright on a sandy bottom with a maximum depth of around 42m at the stern, while her bow lies at 39m.
The top deck with the captain's cabin starts at a depth of 30m. The wreck is relatively safe to penetrate because of the various openings made before scuttling, and there is plenty to explore on its three decks.
Large holes were cut all along the sides on the first two decks, and there is a photogenic staircase in the middle of the wreck leading to the lower deck, which is lit only by portholes. There is a small amount of silt and sand inside.
All the wrecks are usually dived from the shore but can be done by boat as well. Karwela is probably the most dived wreck around Gozo, due to her famous staircase and other picturesque features, and excellent location very close to the shore.
The Stairs
The famous stairs of the Karwela are a beautiful part of the wreck and are very photogenic. Many divers enjoy this part of the wreck during penetration dives and you can find photos of these famous staircases all around the world by many underwater photographers.
Xatt L'Ahmar wrecks
The Karwela lies about 60m to the west of its closest neighbour, the Cominoland, which is in turn around 100m to the west of the Hephaestus, an oil tanker than was sunk much more recently 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 meters to dive this site. If you wish to penetrate the wreck you will be required to have a Wreck Diver certification. We would also strongly recommend being a Nitrox Diver to extend the bottom times.
DIVE SITE SPECIFICATION: MV Karwela
- Location: Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo
- Type Of Dive: Shore Dive / Boat Dive
- Max Depth: 42m
- Minimum Certification: PADI Deep Diver & PADI Nitrox Diver
- For Penetration Dives: PADI Wreck Diver