Reef Dive, Dwejra, Gozo
The Inland Sea is a shallow lagoon, connected to the Mediterranean Sea by an 80m long tunnel cutting through the cliff face. The famously dramatic topography makes this one of the most famous dive sites in all of the Maltese Islands.
Within the lagoon, the maximum depth is around 2m, but it quickly drops once in the tunnel to 26m at the other end. The tunnel has steep vertical walls and a pebble bottom, ending with large boulders around the seaside exit. Once exiting the tunnel, the seabed drops down to around 50m, with steep cliffs veering off to the left and right.
The Inland Sea is very close to the equally famous Blue Hole, making an excellent pairing for a two-dive day.
The tunnel
The tunnel at the Inland Sea is the most dramatic part of the dive, with its sheer walls and narrow exits making a spectacular sight. Take your time swimming through here, it's worth pausing to enjoy being in such a unique and stunning space.
A torch can be used to pick out the features in the walls, but we actually prefer the dive without torches, as the blue light from the exit and the green light from the lagoon make for a spectacular backdrop against the darkness.
Care must be taken with buoyancy, as there is often boat traffic overhead, and with the seabed below at 26m, it's easy to lose track of depth.
The wall
Upon exiting the tunnel, there are cliffs to the left and to the right, dropping straight from the surface all the way down to 50m+. These sheer walls can be dived in either direction, the preferred direction being into the current, to make the return journey easier. Fireworms, nudibranchs, starfish, and octopuses can be found on the walls, and an eye should be kept out in the blue for large shoals of bream and damselfish, and the occasional predatory fish such as amberjacks or tuna.
Whichever direction is taken, some vertical swim-throughs can be found, for which torches are required.
Experience needed
You must be certified to dive to a depth of 18 metres to dive this site. Due to the boat traffic and the depth of the seabed, proficient buoyancy control is a must. We would recommend Advanced Open Water and Nitrox Diver certifications to make the most out of the wall dives outside of the tunnel.
Dive site specification: The Inland Sea
- Location: Dwejra, Gozo
- Type of dive: Shore Dive
- Max depth: 40m+
- Minimum certification: PADI Open Water Diver
- Recommended: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Nitrox Diver