Wreck Dive, Comino, Malta
The P31 began in East Germany as a Kondor-class minesweeper built in the 1960s, originally named Pasewalk (GS05). In August 1992, she left Germany and took 3 weeks to reach Malta, climbing enormous waves and braving force 9 winds, before joining the Maltese Navy as Patrol Boat 31 (P31). Her last patrol in Malta was in September 2004.
In 2004 she was bought and decommissioned by the Malta Tourism Authority, who cleaned and officially scuttled her as an artificial dive site in 2009. The P31 now lies on a white sandy bottom off the island of Comino at a depth of 22m. This dive site is only reachable by boat.
The P31 is a sister ship of the P29, another wreck that lies on the sandy bottom at Cirkewwa.
The marine life
The marine life on this wreck is excellent. You can find nudibranchs, moray eels, scorpionfish, and octopuses, and if you search over the sandy seabed, you can even spot small stingrays.
If you take a torch and search within the many pipes and hatches, you may find one or two moray eels, or even a conger eel if you're lucky. There is always an abundance of damselfish and bream swimming around the wreck's superstructure, which attract amberjacks on the hunt.
Because of the shallow depth and generally excellent visibility, the wreck shows a lot of colour, creating great opportunities for underwater photography.
Experience needed
You must be certified to dive to a depth of 18 metres to dive this site. If you wish to penetrate the wreck you will need a Wreck Diver certification.
Dive site specification: The P31 Patrol Boat
- Location: Comino, Malta
- Type of dive: Boat Dive
- Max depth: 22m
- Minimum certification: PADI Open Water Diver
- For penetration dives: PADI Wreck Diver