Tanja Moeller
Thomas Menz

What makes Gozo such an attractive diving destination?

Gozo offers a variety of spectacular dive sites within a short distance – most sites are accessible from shore and are suitable for beginners as well as experienced divers.

The clear visibility of the azure water and its breathtaking topography of drop offs combined with tunnels, swim throughs, caves and caverns is just stunning. Also, our wrecks, which lie in sand at a depth of 40 metres are a great dive for experienced divers.

Diving through a tunnel off the inland sea and exiting into the deep blue of the open sea is like being reborn.

What first attracted you to diving and what pushed you to pursue it as a profession?

We were both attracted by the quietness you find underwater and by the freedom of your movements – it feels like you’re floating. The colours and life down there are just amazing – you would be surprised by the kind of creatures you discover on a dive.

We decided to pursue diving as a profession because we love to share this passion and to introduce novices to the underwater world.

What is your favourite dive site in Gozo?

Diving through a tunnel off the inland sea and exiting into the deep blue of the open sea is like being reborn

The Blue Hole is definitely a favourite – the topography and light reflections are amazing and the site is accessible to almost all levels of divers. Then there is Ras il-Ħobż – this site has such a variety of species to discover, including barracudas, large scorpion fish and jacks. We have recently included Wied il-Mielaħ in our programme – the site is only accessible by boat and we have frequently seen a large school of barracudas there.

The Calypso Diving Centre was set up in 1985 – how has the diving scene in Gozo developed since then?

Back in 1985 Gozo was not really known for diving – however, since then a lot of divers have discovered the beauty of the island and its superb dive spots. In recent years, the infrastructure has also improved, with better roads, ladders and handrails on dive sites and portable toilets. Moreover, Gozo now has its own decompression chamber at the Gozo General Hospital – this adds to divers’ safety.

More that can be done. It would be great if areas of Gozo were turned into marine protected areas – other countries in Europe and around the world have shown that this helps the underwater life to recover. Moreover, this would fit perfectly in the Eco Gozo programme.

There are also plans to scuttle an additional wreck – hopefully, this will be in shallow water and accessible to less experienced divers.

Office manager Tanja Moeller and director of diving Thomas Menz are PADI Open Water diving instructors at Calypso Diving Centre.

Exploring the depths

Audrey Cudel is one of Gozo Diving Centre’s owners, together with Tom Steiner and Abdulrahman Al Sareed. She is a PADI instructor, PADI TecRec and TDI technical instructor as well as a professional underwater photographer and videographer.

What makes Gozo such an attractive diving destination?

I spent 20 years diving in the South of France and around the world. I have also worked as an instructor at the Red Sea for three years. As a technical and full cave diver, what makes Malta and Gozo attractive to me as a diving destination are the unique geological formations around the islands.

Some of the cracks, caves and caverns are supposed to be natural but I can hardly believe that they were not shaped by human hands in ancient times – in fact, a lot of the Maltese heritage inland looks quite similar to what can be found underwater.

The wrecks around the islands are another key attraction – each wreck has a history and a lot of them are still waiting to be discovered.

Enjoying all of this would not be possible without the amazing underwater visibility surrounding the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino. Moreover, the water temperature is enjoyable from April until the end of November.

What first attracted you to diving and what pushed you to pursue it as a profession?

I used to work as a consultant before I decided to dedicate myself fully to diving four years ago.

Being in the water has always been an addiction to me. I was born in the South of France where I was free diving until I started diving at the age of 16. I travelled a lot and dived in many places in the world until I became more attracted by depth than by fish. This is partly the reason why I started technical diving and completed my Advanced Trimix. For me, technical diving is a safer way to dive.

Exploration is probably what pushed me to pursue diving as a profession – inner exploration when teaching or achieving new personal challenges, and pure exploration when diving in caves or depths where few have been before.

As an underwater photographer and videographer, I’m also keen on sharing these explorations. I’m also addicted to sidemount diving – I strongly believe that this new configuration will be adopted by most divers in the future for safety and comfort reasons.

What is your favourite dive site in Gozo?

Billinghurst is a cave located north of Gozo at Reqqa Point and it’s probably my favourite dive site in Gozo. This cave is not too deep and, since it gets shallower once inside, you can explore the place without decompression concerns. As for any cave dive, a redundancy in air source with twinset or sidemount configuration is strongly recommended.

The Billinghurst cave is also teeming with macro marine life. When you get into the cave part, the rock formations there are surprising – perfect square shaped holes and several plateaus which remind me of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. The air pocket inside the cave part is also amazing with red colours on the ceiling. The visibility inside the cave tends to be incredible and the shades of blue contrasting with the exit attract many photographers.

The Gozo Diving Centre was set up more than 25 years ago – how has the diving scene in Gozo changed and developed since then?

My partner and I took over the Gozo Diving Centre about a year ago and we knew that it was one of the first to be set up in Gozo.

Talking with local people, it seems that the diving activity has remained popular over the years with a lot of foreigners coming back every two to five years to enjoy dive sites they already know. In Gozo, divers are given the chance to dive unguided provided they are qualified to do so. This option attracts a lot of groups to the island who prefer to organise their diving day independently.

Many low cost flights to Malta have also triggered last minute bookings. Apart from families, more single divers visit just for an extended weekend or shorter stays more frequently than before.

In the past, most visitors used to stay in Malta and then visit Gozo for one day. Nowadays, that trend is changing – more divers are keen to discover Gozo’s heritage and opt to stay here.

As a technical centre owner, I’m pleased with the development of technical diving in Gozo, with more dive centres investing in modern technical equipment, mixing panels to offer Trimix, Nitrox and other mixed gas and offering professional training. This trend creates new competition on the market – however, it’s a very friendly atmosphere, which encourages more divers to dive safely and more technical divers to join and explore new dive sites.

What specialised equipment do you use for underwater photography and videography?

After drowning two cameras and pushing housings at depths greater than what they were rated for, I had to find a compromise between the equipment I could afford and constraints such as depth, darkness, compact size and reasonable weight. This means that I’m not using the top professional equipment I wish I had but rather one which fits most of the situations I experience.

A few years ago, I replaced my Ikelite polycarbonate housing which had cracked at 75 metres with an aluminum Patima housing rated for 120 metres – this allows me to switch lenses for wide angle purposes or to adapt a dome. I use a Canon G12, which is perfect to switch from photography to video within a few seconds. For lighting, I use two I-torches Video Pro 4.

What potential does diving have in helping attract tourists to Gozo?

Diving has a huge potential to attract more tourists to Gozo and some initiatives like the project aiming at sinking a new wreck north of the island are promising. The development of technical diving and sidemount diving will also attract more divers.

In other countries in Europe, divers attend underwater photography festivals and dive shows – such events would also attract more divers to Gozo.

As a holiday destination, Gozo attracts divers who also enjoy other activities during their stay: discovering the cultural heritage of Gozo is one of them but there are also kayaking, trekking and climbing. More activities should be organised.

Exploration is probably what pushed me to pursue diving as a profession

Does the present infrastructure support diving tourism and what needs to be done to enhance this infrastructure?

The present infrastructure supports diving tourism but unfortunately not long enough to cover the whole season. For instance, the Eco Gozo project could be used to protect the surroundings of major dive sites such as Reqqa Point, Xwejni Bay, Xatt L’Aħmar and Ras Il-Ħobż. Here, permanent toilets facilities could also be installed.

The access to dive sites in the north and south of the island is only possible a few months a year since the ladders used to enter and exit are constantly broken by rough waves. A more permanent solution should be found to enable access over an extended period, to protect divers who still try to access these dive sites without the required infrastructure, and to prevent the metal ladders from ending up at the bottom of the sea.

Gozo is considered to be a safe island among divers – however, last year some thefts occurred. As a deterrent, installing safety cameras could help protect the island’s reputation.

Also, the roads to access some popular dive sites such as Xatt L’Aħmar and Ras Il-Ħobż are most of the time in terrible conditions. Since they are so narrow as to only allow one car to go through, some cars end up stuck in the mud. Access needs to be improved.

A valuable market

Improving Gozo’s dive prouct will help the island attract more visitors, says Mark Busuttil.

What makes Gozo such an attractive diving destination?

First, there’s our Mediterranean climate, thanks to which we have a relatively long diving season – many find it hard to believe that October and November are excellent months for diving, with warm sea and marine life at its best. On the other hand, other Mediterranean diving destinations in Spain, France and Italy are only open between June and September.

Gozo’s numerous underwater caves, tunnels, drop offs and large rocks are quite unique. These form excellent scenery with shades of black and blue and silhouettes that are special. We also have very clear water. Gozo treats all its sewage and the water that is now pumped into the sea is actually good for irrigation, so no damage is done to the marine environment.

Gozo also has a variety of dive sites for all levels of divers. While instructors use safe, shallow bays like Xlendi, Ħondoq and Xwejni for beginner dives, night dives and courses with both adults and children, more experienced divers frequent deeper sites. The Blue Hole at Dwejra ranks in the world’s top 100 dive sites but there are at least a dozen other sites that are equally good if not better. Good does not necessarily mean deep – as a matter of fact, the Blue Hole is often the first dive on our basic four-day diving course. The waters around Dwejra are renowned for their depth but the Blue Hole is also an excellent dive for those limited to depths of 12 to 18 metres.

There are also several deep dives that are excellent for technical diving and training. This is one of the factors that attracts highly qualified and experienced divers to Gozo. The most attractive dive sites are those on the north west coast. The Ministry for Gozo also scuttled ships at Xatt l-Aħmar on the south coast, thus creating dive sites that have contributed immensely to Gozo’s dive portfolio. The wreck of a former patrol boat scuttled a few years ago in shallow water near the Blue Lagoon in Comino has also proved to be very popular for less qualified divers and snorkellers.

Apart from being only a short distance away from central Europe, Gozo also offers other attractions such as beaches, historical monuments and cultural events. Moreover, the island has hundreds of good restaurants which appeal to the palate of most tourists. Accommodation options are various and of good quality. The people are also friendly – the fact that we all speak English and other languages is another valuable asset.

Gozo is also a safe destination. That said, three dive trucks were recently broken into. This has been going on at Reqqa Point for the past few years and despite many reports, the thieves have not been caught. Such incidents give Gozo a bad name.

When compared to other dive destinations the complete package works out to be good value for money. The amount clients pay for the standard of dive they get is very reasonable. It’s imperative to ensure the dive product is maintained and continuously improved to ensure sustainability and good value holidays.

Competition from other destinations is fierce and we cannot drag our feet in improving our product

All these factors result in a significant percentage of repeat visitors. However, lack of statistical information means that we don’t know the exact amount of repeat visitors – having these statistics would enable us to do a more comprehensive study of demographics and would assist the private sector and government with investment in product development and marketing.

What first attracted you to diving and what pushed you to pursue it as a profession?

As a child I always loved swimming and was fascinated by the underwater world. I started diving with Atlam Sub Aqua Club at 16 because that was the minimum age required to start diving those days. Three years later, having logged a few hundred dives and after a lot of hard training with the club and with Tony Lautier, who used to run the Comino Hotel dive base, I was approached by John Galea, a friend who lived between Gozo and Malta and who changed my life’s direction. He introduced me to Joe Vella Gaffiero who was in the process of opening a dive shop in Xlendi. I had never dived around Gozo before but it only took a few dives at Dwejra and Reqqa Point to convince me to settle down in Gozo. In 1989 I partnered up with Vella Gaffiero and almost 24 years later, we’re still here.

What is your favourite dive site in Gozo?

My favourite is Crocodile Rock at Dwejra. It’s a shallow plateau that drops off to 40 metres and beyond – the drop off itself is breathtaking as it’s a steep vertical drop at the bottom of which are several large boulders and a spot where several species of fish hunt. Shoals of barracuda, amberjack and tuna are quite common here. Unfortunately, grouper and dentex used to thrive here but have become scarcer due to over-fishing in this area.

Protecting the marine life at Dwejra is long overdue. We have been asking the authorities to declare a marine protected area at Dwejra and it has now become very urgent. Just a few weeks ago an EU funded interpretation centre for marine protected areas as part of a European programme called Pancea was officially opened at Dwejra. This was spearheaded by Dr Alan Deidun and his department within the University of Malta – this is a small step in the right direction but proper legislation and enforcement is still lacking.

How has the diving scene in Gozo and developed since setting up St Andrew’s Divers Cove?

Back then, there were many less divers but also less competition. We were the third diving centre to open in Gozo and now there are more than 10.

Some things have improved and others have got worse. The lack of marine life today when compared to what it was like 20 years ago is our main concern. On the other hand, we now have wrecks, a decompression chamber at the Gozo General Hospital and a directorate responsible for tourism (and economic development) within the Ministry for Gozo. These are all major improvements to the local diving scene.

The market has also changed. We used to have primarily British tourists, then Germans and now thanks to the numerous flights by legacy airlines and low cost carriers that fly to Malta, we get tourists from many other countries.

The main roads in Gozo are much better now and up to EU standards but the secondary and tertiary roads leading to the dive sites need to be improved. Accessibility is crucial, whether it’s accessibility to Malta from airports abroad or to Gozo from Malta or to the dive sites from the dive shops.

What potential does diving have in helping attract tourists to Gozo?

Diving is very important, especially in the shoulder months – in May, June and October, divers make up a substantial percentage of all tourists in Gozo.

The more we improve the Gozo dive product, the greater the chances to attract more tourists. Competition from other destinations is fierce and we cannot drag our feet in improving our product. It still takes several years to get planning permission for new wrecks. We still have no real marine protected areas and they are increasing around the Mediterranean – our competitors are attracting many of our potential clients.

Divers are relatively high spending tourists and therefore valuable to the economy. The whole country benefits from tourism either directly or indirectly. It’s very important to recognise our responsibilities and act accordingly. Divers, dive shop owners and dive instructors have responsibilities like taking care of the environment and suggesting possible improvements.

On the other hand, government has responsibilities like product development, legislation, enforcement and infrastructural improvement.

Does the present infrastructure support diving tourism and what needs to be done to enhance this infrastructure?

The infrastructure has improved but more can be done. The most urgent issue we need to tackle is the declaration of marine protected areas around our coast to mitigate over-fishing. Fishing around dive sites should also be prohibited.

Wrecks are an attraction to divers and can be used to create new dive sites on barren patches of sand. This has multiple benefits and further improves the Gozo dive product. They can also serve to alleviate the burden from other popular sites – divers around Gozo will thus be better distributed.