Gozo 2012
Gozo 2012
August 31st bags re-weighed easy dash to Dublin, slow amble through the airport down to Gate 103 & after a few minutes we were on our way to Gozo. In a bit, touchdown in Luqa, down to our t-shirts, stacked the bags into the van, loaded we were soon on the ferry, pleasant breeze & a memorable view of Camino & St. Mary’s Tower, into Mgharr Harbour, within a few minutes & two calls after we were in Marsalforn had the jeeps parked up, met Maria with the apartment keys, dropped bags picked beds & gathered for the short stroll down to the seafront in search of sustenance, Ta Pennellu, pasta & spare ribs, satisfied we were now ready for a nights sleep & a week of diving.
September 1st we met Stephania & Brian in Atlantis diving, presented credentials & signatures, collected tanks & weight & we were on our first maniacal chase across the island to Ras Il-Hobz (Middle Finger). Our last Irish dive was August 22nd Dalkey South, 17m, limited vis, 14oC, 7+7mm farmer john, 13kg of lead for 21 minutes. Gozo was different, dressed in a 2mm shortie, 4kg of weight, 20m+ vis in 28oC water with clouds of bait fish, at least.
We went in at the platform across the shallows south east, descended at the drop off & Middle Finger soon appeared on our left, a pinnacle with depths of ~ 100m just a short peddle from shore, dropped to ~ 30m we spiralled upward travelling anticlockwise, thermoclines, shoals of Bream, a few Tuna, small Moray, retuning to the shallows to be entertained by the bait fish & Wrasse, after 45 minutes we had an easy exit. Pavel nailed this one & Middle Finger gave us more than Kilkee earlier this season.
Quick change before our second madcap chase back to Marsalforn, lazy lunch at the Electra before returning to Middle Finger, 28m for 40 minutes followed by an easy snorkel in the shallows with the girls. A siesta on the couch, Herbies & an early night.
September 2nd our party had grown with the arrival of Barry & Kate, diving was still best on the south coast, off the Rabat Mgharr road, past some odd signage we travelled to Ix Xatt L-Ahmar (Red Bay), a great swimming & snorkelling spot with steps & a dive board, over looked by Fort Chambray. With one gang set to go swimming, seven of us peddled south east over the grassy reef descending to ~ 33m at the drop off, finding a nice swim through & having more fun in the shallows on the way back. 
Another madcap chase & lazy lunch in Marsalforn, we heard the west was improving & so we headed for Dwejra & the Inland Sea, change of pace, a thrilling dive. A salt water lake located behind a cliff but connected to the sea via an 80m tunnel which drops from 3m to 26m. Off the slipway, to the left of the tunnel, down & through nice & easy, exiting turning left west along the wall, not going much deeper than 27m in 50m depth. We turned at ~16 minutes, swell had picked up & the tunnel was now a funnel which propelled us like cannon shot providing great excitement & a few apprehensive moments.
With the head count intact we made our retreat back to the apartments, quick swim around the bay & back to Dwejra to explore the Azure Window by land. A storm hit about 7.30pm, torrential rain, floods & lightening until almost dawn, travelling in the topless jeep across the island made quite an adventure as roads were replaced by torrents, we were dodging dustbins & other bits, some roads were impassable but the little jeep chewed it up, glad to get back to the apartment.September 3rd was a day of rest, the team split one half exploring Malta the other half, Gozo, Calypso’s Cave, Ramla & San Blas Bay etc.
September 4th brought us to the wrecks near Mgharr, scuttled 
in 2006 the deck of the MV Karwella is at ~37m, on air there was little bottom time but plenty of Nitrogen, hit the deck glee, down to the props at 42m apprehension, back up, through the wheel house & onto the mast, heading for home at ~ 12m still twitchy the compass was baffling, visibility was superb, no torch needed.
in 2006 the deck of the MV Karwella is at ~37m, on air there was little bottom time but plenty of Nitrogen, hit the deck glee, down to the props at 42m apprehension, back up, through the wheel house & onto the mast, heading for home at ~ 12m still twitchy the compass was baffling, visibility was superb, no torch needed. In the afternoon lovely easy dive back at Middle Finger, dropped to 30m travelled clockwise then back to the shallows where a few octopus occupied us, 58 minutes, great dive site.
September 5th, again we went back to Mgharr & the wrecks, a little east of the Karwella the MV 
Cominoland sits in ~ 39m. Liam nailed the navigation, we entered at the ladder, peddled south east across the reef, descended at the drop off & the Cominoland soon loomed into view. On air again this was going to be brief, quick peak into the wheel house, out & down to 37m, in through the door, down the starboard side, out at the stern, up the stairs, along the port side to the bow, up to the wheel house onto the stack & back to the shallows to snoop around the boulders, lots of Scorpion fish & found another small Moray in a crack under the ladder exiting.
Cominoland sits in ~ 39m. Liam nailed the navigation, we entered at the ladder, peddled south east across the reef, descended at the drop off & the Cominoland soon loomed into view. On air again this was going to be brief, quick peak into the wheel house, out & down to 37m, in through the door, down the starboard side, out at the stern, up the stairs, along the port side to the bow, up to the wheel house onto the stack & back to the shallows to snoop around the boulders, lots of Scorpion fish & found another small Moray in a crack under the ladder exiting. 
Lunch at Mgharr before a swim & snorkel at Hondoq bay, a superb site with Comino & the Blue lagoon in sight. That evening the breaks held on the jeeps & we gathered at Mgarr Ix–Xini for a night dive, spectacular narrow inlet with steep cliffs on both sides, 14m, two caves, Cuttlefish, Octopus, another small Moray & another free swimming Eel, surfacing at 60 minutes a great dive. The jeeps climbed the scary road out followed by the traditional madcap dash to Victoria & McDonalds for evening vittles.
September 6th back to Middle Finger, down to 36m spiralling up travelling clockwise, Moray Tuna & lots of Bream, Pavel appeared from nowhere herding a shoal. The track out of Ras Il–Hobz had been badly damaged in the aftermath of the storm but these unstoppable little jeeps clambered & inched their way out.
After another lazy lunch we went in search of Ta’ Cenc, another spectacular inlet, parked, donned gear & tackled the 90 odd steps past the restaurant down to the bathing platform, two very nice boats moored near by, film set type scene. Swimmers snorkelers & divers ready we dropped in, south across the inlet & down, saw a Grouper at ~ 16m, a very cosy swim through at 31m & found another very entertaining cave, a lovely site, we were a long way from Dalkey South.
That evening half the team took up residence in Xaghra, leaving the convenience of the apartment, underground car park & lift for a rustic hilltop farmhouse, straight out of a Sergio Leone film, complete with open air atrium, arches, worn stone stairs, the first floor balcony provided a perfect vantage point for the Il Bambina Festival fireworks, resident wildlife was abundant, a few blocks were carved with names & dates, great fun, timber door frame marked MI6 added to the curiosity.
September 7th we collected our tanks, met our old team mate Pascal & charged across the island back to the Inland Sea for two boat dives, the 1st site might have been called Hawrija on the west tip of the island, dropped in, very good cave followed by another swim through at 31.7m after which we went in search of Barracuda, who didn’t oblige.
Burgers for lunch at Dwerja & after we strolled down to the Blue Hole which was packed tight with divers. Back to the boat, no delays, the 2nd site may have been the Tac Cawla caves, on the north west coast, a set of caves of which we visited three, Liam did his best on the boat to calm nerves, this was a roller coaster, a very exciting dive, exiting the 3rd cave at ~ 12m the narrow sides framed the crystal blue waters outside, stunning. This was the perfect end to a perfect week diving with NSAC in Gozo.
September 8th we had to leave the rest of the NSAC team for an evening flight home, just as the swell dropped & north coast opened providing the team with the chance to dive Reqqa point, Double Arches, Blue Hole & others. Many thanks to our DO Liam, Patti, Tony, Rose, Barry, Kate, Pavel & Fintan for a seamless & very enjoyable holiday, The great vis, drop offs, walls, bait fish, Nitrogen, jeeps, Octopus, heat, pizza, ribs, wrecks, caves & scenery, for divers & non divers, young & old, Gozo has it!!
