Wreck Dive, Marsaskala, Malta
On 16th May 1998, Tugboat 10 and Tugboat St. Michael were scuttled at Zonqor Point to create two artificial wrecks.
Both tugboats had many years of service towing vessels in the Grand Harbour of Valletta, before being moored at Jetties Wharf where they were left to partially submerge. They were then cleaned out and made environmentally safe for marine life and divers.
Tugboat 10 is the smaller of the two, at 16m long, and lies upright on a flat sandy bottom with a maximum depth of 21m. Ninety degrees off the bow lies the St. Michael, a 20m long tugboat.
In 2021, the P33, a former Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) patrol boat (a German-built Bremse-class vessel), was scuttled for divers. She did not withstand the forces of nature for long, and now lies broken and in pieces on the seabed. She came to rest directly between the Tug 10 and St. Michael, making an interesting dive where all three wrecks can be visited, although this is usually split into two dives for gas consumption reasons.
The wrecks at Marsaskala are some of the few shallower wrecks in Malta and are suitable for Open Water divers, although Advanced Open Water is recommended to be able to fully explore around the bottom of the wrecks.
The Mini Blue Hole
Marsaskala is also home to the Mini Blue Hole, a natural rock formation connected to the open sea by an underwater tunnel. This site offers a beautiful shallow reef dive, with a maximum depth of only 10 metres, but an abundance of marine life, interesting topography, and generally better visibility than around the wrecks. With the entrance situated just a 700m drive away, this can make for an excellent and varied dive day: one dive to the wrecks, and the other to the Mini Blue Hole and surrounding reef. However, with a challenging exit over slippery rocks, this site can only be used during very flat conditions.
The marine life
On the two older wrecks, there is a high chance of finding nudibranchs, so bring your camera if you're a fan of macro marine life. Next to the wrecks, on the sandy bottom, you can find flying gurnards, baby stingrays and triggerfish. The rocky reef en route to the wrecks is abundant with moray eels and rockfish.
Experience needed
You must be certified to dive to a depth of 18 metres to dive these sites, although we recommend 20m+ (Advanced Open Water or CMAS 1*) to be able to fully explore around the bottom of the wrecks. The Mini Blue Hole is suitable for PADI Scuba Divers, although the challenging exit should be considered when planning.
Dive site specification: Tugboat 10, P33 & St. Michael
- Location: Zonqor Point, Marsaskala, Malta
- Type of dive: Shore Dive
- Max depth: 21m
- Minimum certification: PADI Open Water Diver
- Recommended: PADI Advanced Open Water & PADI Nitrox Diver