Sinking to the bottom has never been as pleasurable as in Malta. Or rather, in Gozo, since the sister island has some of the best dive sites in the world.
You wouldn’t imagine that such a small island could hold so many underwater treasures – it’s like a lid guarding a treasure chest of dives. Open the lid and you will be able to explore the dappled turquoise waters and get up close and personal with underwater life.
The northwesterly side of Gozo, especially, is like a golden mile of dive sites. Xlendi Bay, for instance, is full of large boulders, home to groups of sea breams, damselfish and cardinal fish, especially in the area close to the cave. On the northernmost tip of Gozo is Reqqa Point, where having made your way through the tricky entry, you can drop to more than 60 metres and swim with large shoals of dentex. Then there is Dwejra Point, where the inland sea, the Blue Hole and the Azure Window form a trio of wonders.
Even if you’re just snorkelling or are only dropping a couple of metres, you still need a good dive watch
It’s so beautiful down here that you almost forget the time. Which isn’t really a good idea, seeing that you’re underwater and have a limited supply of air in your tanks. Which is why you need a good dive watch.
Even if you’re just snorkelling or are only dropping a couple of metres, you still need a good dive watch. These timepieces are designed for wet work and are the perfect companions underwater since they help you track your depth and bottom time.
Dive watches are a relatively recent development. Until the early 1950s, there were only a handful of water-resistant watches available, and none were practical for diving. Then in 1953, two Swiss watch companies, Rolex and Blancpain, raced to be the first to release a dive watch.
Both companies claim victory. Blancpain came up with the Fifty Fathoms, a diver’s watch that could indicate the remaining dive time on a rotating bezel. Rolex, on the other hand, introduced the Oyster Perpetual Submariner, which was the first watch to be water-resistant to 100 metres.
What the two watches shared were water resistance and a rotating bezel which allowed the diver to monitor elapsed time. It is these two essential features which, more than half a century later, still define a dive watch.
However, as diving gained popularity, dive watches continued to evolve, and now include other features such as internal timing bezels and luminous dials – the latter, together with an uncluttered dial, ensure legibility, which is crucial on a dive. Another accepted standard is a rubber strap or steel bracelet with adjustable dive-suit extension. Given the wet environment, dive watches don’t have a leather strap.
Modern dive watches also boast increased water resistance. While the first dive watches could resist up to about 100 metres, nowadays the accepted minimum is double that.
There are watches with a water resistance of over 1,000 metres.
Apart from their intended use, dive watches are also favoured by those adventurous in spirit.
Their easy-to-read bezels, robust straps and thick cases look good both underwater and above and speak the same language, one of courage and adventure.
What lies beneath
The strangest underwater creatures
Atlantic wolffish – at 500 metres
Looking like the leading role in a horror movie, the Atlantic wolffish has large teeth suited for a diet of crabs, sea urchins and molluscs. Lives in rocky coastal depths.
Frilled shark – at 1,500 metres
Only a few humans have ever encountered frilled sharks, which prefer to remain at 1,500 metres below the surface. Frilled sharks share a lot of physical characteristics with creatures which swam the seas thousands of years ago.
Fangtooth fish – at 2,000 metres
You wouldn’t want to meet this deep sea specimen in your nightmares, let alone in real life. The fangtooth fish is only around six inches long, but its teeth are the largest, proportionate to body size, of any fish.
Vampire squid – at 3,000 metres
True to its name, the vampire squid lives in the dark depths of the ocean. The squid takes its name from its webbed arms, which it draws over itself like a cloak.
Pacific viperfish – at 4,400 metres
The Pacific viperfish has teeth so large that it cannot even close its mouth – not very polite when having lunch. Living at a depth of 4,000 metres and more, the viperfish attracts its prey with bioluminescent photophores on its belly.