Malta & Gozo · Malta · Reef · Wall
Cirkewwa Arch
Swim beneath the surviving span of a collapsed sea cavern
Photo: MikeTickle, (cropped and a bit edited (color adjustments) by User:Snek01) · CC BY 3.0
An underwater arch off Ċirkewwa, north west of the lighthouse, left behind when the roof of a cavern collapsed. It is a shore dive from the same entry as the Rozi wreck, combining a pass under the arch with a reef and wall that stay fairly shallow.
Also known as Right Arch, Green Arch, Ċirkewwa Arch.
Where it is and how deep
35.9904° N, 14.3276° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers enter at the large stride entry and follow the reef to the arch, the remains of a cavern whose roof fell in long ago. The top of the arch is at 12 m and the sand beneath it lies at 20 m, so the swim through passes between the two.
Along the wall and the reef the dive stays fairly shallow, at around 18 to 20 m, with a maximum of 25 m. Further on, the seabed next to the reef and wall reaches past 40 m, beyond the usual route.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Malta & Gozo: Jun–Sep is the main season, with the sea averaging 21–26 °C; it never drops below 14 °C, so diving carries on through the winter.
Dive videos
AquaVenture Malta - Scuba Diving The Right Arch · The Scuba Dive Malta on YouTube
Sources
- maltadives.com arch-cirkewwa — MaltaDives.com
- travel.padi.com cirkewwa-arch — PADI
- en.wikivoyage.org Diving_in_Malta — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- A mottled brown sea hare with dark ring markings crawling over algae-covered rock at night. by MikeTickle, (cropped and a bit edited (color adjustments) by User:Snek01), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Malta & Gozo
Cave & cavern
An air chamber at the back of a vast cave in the cliff
An 80 m rock tunnel and a collapsed sea cave, both entered on foot
Wreck
An upturned wartime fighter with its wings still intact
Wreck
A ditched light bomber sitting upright on sand and small reefs
Wall
An old four-pronged grapple anchor lying deep on the reef
A huge cavern in the Dwejra drop-off, walls lined with sponges
A long, well-lit tunnel through the rock of a sheltered lagoon
Two natural rock arches stacked one on top of the other
Similar dives elsewhere
Circle the reef from 18 to 32 m, with the Phedon's remains on it
Two dives in one cove: 20 m to the west, canyons to the east
A cove sheltered from wind and swell, 10 m to 30 m
The sheltered fallback dive when the Tramontane blows