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get
away
S
words
and scimitars are what
you might expect to find at the
bottom of the Mediterranean Sea
but in Malta there are more recent
artifacts to tempt the adventurous
diver. Not everything in the world
is real and this is also true in the
silent world under water. Ancient and modern ship
wrecks from wars gone by are the targets of many
explorers around the world but it is not always the
tyranny of history that leaves maritime vessels at
the bottom of the deep blue. Artificially created
wrecks deliberately sunk to create newunder water
destinations for fun divers to explore are increasingly
common and there are at least two to go and see
in Malta.
Double Wrecks
It is a short, sunny drive from the town of St. Julian’s
to a shore dive, which are less common these days
than a boat dive. The colder water necessitates
steel tanks, thicker wet suits and heavier weights
for a mid-December Mediterranean dive. It was
not all bad news though. With visibility of more
than 20 metres, the clarity of vision under water is
well worth the trip. The sandy bottom reflects the
light well, setting alight two artificial wrecks,
MV
Rozi
and
P29
.
MV Rozi
was a tug boat. She was scuttled in
1992 to form an artificial reef off the coast near
Cirkewwa. Built in England as
Rossmore
,
then renamed
Rossgarth
before the
Maltese named it
Rozi
, this wreckwas
originally designed for under water
safari tours but is now open for
any fun-seeking diver to explore.
Lying upright at 36metres down
below, it is a clearly visible hol-
low shell which is intact except
for its engines and propeller.
The wreck is full of marine life,
including sea breams, rainbow
wrasses and even home to a
Moray eel. You will need to
fin 10-15 minutes from shore
to reach
Rozi
but it is well worth
the effort. This eerie, empty wreck
is almost luminous as it sits on sand
playing host to marine life and visiting
divers along it’s 40 metre long hulk.
Even in the silentworld under
thewaves, not every shipwreck
iswhat itmay appear to be, as
JonathanDi Rollo
finds out in
Malta.
The
Quiet Deep