Reef Dive, Cirkewwa, Malta
Cirkewwa's Left Arch (also known as Ben's Arch) is a beautiful natural underwater archway. It is distinct from the more famous Right Arch due to its unusual vertical shape.
Entry for the Ben's Arch dive is from Paradise entrance, the Southernmost of the three Cirkewwa entry points.
The Dive
Keeping the reef wall on the left and to a maximum depth of 18 metres will bring you to Ben's Arch approximately 20 minutes into the dive. En route, there is some interesting topography, including dramatic wall drop-offs and a range of swim-throughs, and an abundance of marine life. In our opinion, this makes it one of the most interesting reef dives at Cirkewwa. With its shallow depth and easy entry point, it's perfect for Open Water divers, and also makes a great check dive before heading to one of the deeper wrecks.
There are some replica Phoenician pots at the bottom of one of the cliffs, at a depth of around 20 metres. These pots were created to replace the genuine Phoenician amphoras discovered here, which are now located in the Gozo Museum of Archaeology in Victoria.
For those qualified to dive beyond 18 metres, there are also two large ancient anchors to be found, one stone and one wooden, at a depth of 26 and 29 metres respectively. We can hypothesise that these are from some unknown wrecks, or perhaps ended up here due to failed anchor chains, but the true origin of these anchors remains a mystery!
Experience Needed
A scenic reef dive with a maximum depth of 18 metres. As such, this is an ideal site for anybody with Open Water certification or above.
DIVE SITE SPECIFICATION: The Cirkewwa Reef
- Location: Cirkewwa, Malta
- Type Of Dive: Shore Dive
- Max Depth: 18m
- Minimum Certification: PADI Open Water Diver
- Recommended: PADI Nitrox Diver
