One of the dive sites we run here in Malta — here's the story behind it, the depth and access, and what it takes to dive it properly.
This is one of the most remarkable shipwrecks anywhere in the Mediterranean. Off Xlendi Bay on Gozo, at around 110 metres, lie the remains of a Phoenician trading vessel that sank roughly 2,700 years ago — in the 7th century BC. It is among the oldest known shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean.
Discovered in 2007 during an offshore remote-sensing survey, the wreck has been studied ever since by Prof. Timmy Gambin and his University of Malta team — work that broke new ground as one of the first archaeological excavations carried out by divers beyond 100 metres. The ship was about 15 metres long and went down with a beautifully preserved mixed cargo: some 50 amphorae of seven different types, and around 20 stone grinding querns.
It is a protected archaeological site of international importance, dived only under permit and only by suitably qualified deep technical divers — but simply knowing it's down there, a Phoenician trader undisturbed for nearly three thousand years, is part of what makes diving Malta so special.
The diving here suits divers at Advanced Trimix / CCR level. This one sits beyond the 100m limit of open-circuit diving — it’s CCR and dedicated exploration territory. If you’re not there yet, these are the courses that get you there:
Already certified and just want to dive it? Come and explore it with me on open circuit or CCR — one relaxed dive a day, no rushing, as long in the water as you like.
Want to dive Phoenician Shipwreck? Tell me your certification level and your dates, and I'll plan it with you. No pressure, no hard sell — just a good dive.