Reefwander
A lone diver in silhouette hangs below two stacked rock arches, with blue open water showing through both openings — Double Arch, Gozo & Malta.

Malta & Gozo · Malta · Reef

Double Arch

Two natural rock arches stacked one on top of the other

Photo: Victor Micallef · CC BY-SA 4.0

Double Arch is a rock formation off the north of Gozo where two natural arches stand one on top of the other. The stacked arches give the site its name and are the reason to dive it, and the depth they sit at makes it a site for more advanced divers.

Also known as Double Arches, Qbajjar Arch, Twin Arches.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Double Arch: typical dive 20–36 m (66–118 ft), deepest point 45 m (148 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit20 m36 m45 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 60 m (197 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

36.0808° N, 14.2476° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The arches sit one above the other between 20 and 36 m, about 200 m offshore, and the dive is built around them. The seabed of the wider site runs from 15 m down to 45 m.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Double Arch
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodFair

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

Diving Double Arch Reef Gozo Malta · ScubaKings Gozo on YouTube

Questions divers ask

Is Double Arch a boat dive or a shore dive?+

Usually a boat dive. It can also be reached from shore, but the arches lie about 200 m offshore.

Sources

  1. maltadives.com/sites — maltadives.com
  2. www.scubago.com/en/explore/divesite/double-arch-1077 — www.scubago.com

Photo credits

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