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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Gozo location page.
Overview
Royal Navy Duncan class battleship that struck two mines laid by German submarine U73 on 27 April 1916 and now rests upside down on sand 6 km east of Fort St Elmo off the Delimara peninsula. The 132 m hull sits at 115 m with the keel rising to roughly 100 m and the stern torn off by the second detonation. Discovered in 2003 and opened to permit holders in May 2019, the wreck is the largest tech accessible WWI battleship in the Mediterranean. Trimix teams tie shot lines to the inverted keel, drop alongside 12 inch gun barrels still in their barbettes, and pass open hatches where John Dory and forkbeard hold station inside the casemates. Visibility at depth regularly exceeds 30 m and the steel is draped in white gorgonians and red sponges.
Briefing note
Heritage Malta permit required for every dive; operators handle the paperwork. Trimix and full deco capability mandatory; runtimes are typically 90 to 120 minutes including decompression. Wreck is a protected war grave so no penetration and no artefact removal.
What you'll see
5 species curated- year-roundJohn DoryPeak: Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov
- year-roundDusky GrouperPeak: May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- year-roundConger EelPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundForkbeardPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundRed GorgonianPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14–15 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Feb | 14–15 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Mar | 14–16 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Apr | 15–17 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| May | 16–19 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Jun | 17–21 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Jul | 17–22 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Aug | 17–22 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Sep | 17–22 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Oct | 17–21 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Nov | 16–19 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Dec | 15–17 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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