Cirkewwa

History & Background

• Ancient
  Cirkewwa has been a natural harbour and ferry crossing point since antiquity. Its position at Malta's northern tip, a short passage to Gozo, made it strategically important to Phoenicians, Romans, and Arabs. The limestone reef system extends from the headland in both directions.
• 1971
  The area around Cirkewwa was among the first in Malta to receive formal marine protection status, recognising the exceptional quality of its reef ecosystem. The site attracted scientific interest in the early 1970s for its biodiversity.
• 1992
  The MV Rozi, a 33-metre steel tugboat built in Bristol in 1958, originally named MV Rossmore, was deliberately sunk on 10 September 1992 by Captain Morgan Cruises to serve as an attraction for tourist submarine trips. She settled upright on the sandy bottom at 34 metres. Her engine and propeller were removed before scuttling.
• 2007
  The P29, a 52-metre Kondor I class minesweeper built in East Germany in 1969–70 (originally named Boltenhagen, GS09), was intentionally sunk on 14 August 2007 approximately 150 metres offshore. She had previously served in the East German Volksmarine, then the German Federal Coast Guard, before being sold to Malta in 1997 and renamed P29. She rests upright at 34 metres, with her highest point at 12 metres.
• Today
  Cirkewwa Marine Park is consistently voted Malta's best all-round dive site. The combination of two wrecks, a natural arch, cave system, and pristine reef in crystal-clear water makes it exceptional for all levels. A marine biologist surveys the site annually.

Cirkewwa offers more dive profiles in one location than almost any other site in the Mediterranean. The natural arch (also called the Right Arch or Green Arch) sits at 12 metres below the surface with 8 metres of clearance above the seabed, a wide, swim-through passage in the limestone reef wall, festooned with sponges and gorgonians. Beyond the arch, the reef descends in terraces to the sandy plateau where the MV Rozi sits upright at 34 metres. The 33-metre steel tugboat is largely intact, her bridge and cabins accessible, her anchor in place at the bow, and claimed as territory by grouper, moray, and octopus. A few hundred metres away, the larger P29, a 52-metre East German minesweeper, also rests upright at 34 metres with machine guns still visible on deck. The adjacent cave system provides additional exploration, and the open plateau is a reliable sighting ground for rays and occasional juvenile tuna. Visibility here is consistently among Malta's best, 20–35 metres year-round, owing to the open Mediterranean exposure and excellent water circulation.