Beginner to Master Dive site.
Comino.
Everybody loves diving around the Island of Comino. Comino is a small island only inhabited by one person all year around, in the summer time its pretty packed with holiday makers flocking to and around the blue lagoon. Day trips, hotels and loads of boats, lucky for us the dive sites are usually pretty peaceful, usually visted by our cousins the scuba divers. Cominos waters are Marine protected (although the law is hardly enforced) and home to some of the best Freediving sites around the Maltese archipelago.
Wrecks names: P 31, Lantern Point and Santa Maria Caves,
Location: Between Malta & Gozo (Map)
Description: Namely the P31, lantern point and the infamous/famous Santa Maria Caves.
Playgrounds.
P 31.
P31 was a former patrol boat for the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta. She was deliberately scuttled in 2009 as diving attraction and artificial reef. Before scuttling the wreck was made safe both for environment and for divers.
P31 patrol boat lies on the west coast of Comino, in the middle of the bay, marked by a large yellow bouy with an X on it. P31 wreck is 52 m in length and sits almost upright on white sand, with a slight list to the portside. The depth is 20 m under the bow and 18 m at the stern, the top part at only 7 m deep from the surface.
This is what Makes the P31 such a fun dive site. A beginner can easily enter the top cabin, an advanced Freediver can reach the bottom, and a master can probably go through most of the wreck on one breath.
Lantern point.
Lantern Point, named after the small lighthouse, located at the most southwestern part of the island. The dive site is characterized by a plateau at about 6 meters deep, a steep drop-off and a L-shaped vertical tunnel. This chimney starts at 6 meters and ends at a depth of 16 meters into a cave. You can also take the opposite direction and leave from the cave go through the tunnel and ascend. Under the reef you will see large boulders which form a spectacular sight. Who descends further will reach an impressive vertical wall that goes down to 50 meters. Also popular for seeing loads of wild marine life.
Santa Maria Caves.
WARNING: These caves can be very dangerous and many divers have lost their lives here. Only go with an experienced Freediver who knows them well.
I love these caves, probably one of my favourite freediving sites ever. Home to a labyrinth of interconnected caves, a real freediving playground. So much to say that I don’t know where to start, one can easily go through two hours of Freediving and just scratch the surface of what this place has to offer. Tunnels leading to caves, caves leading to tunnels, caves where you can breathe (ventilated), caves shinning down heavenly light. This sight is really something else. Just outside the entrance to one of the main caves you can usually find thousands of saddled sea bream (Kahli). The reason why there are so many is because it has become customary for divers to feed them, so please, feel free to bring some food (typically stale bread) and follow tradition.