Mgarr ix-Xini is a shallow, easy bay in the south of Gozo, popular with less experienced divers and used for training and night dives. A small, safe cavern makes it a first step into caves and caverns, and the bay also has a good snorkelling area.
Also known as Mgarr Ix Xini.
Where it is and how deep
36.0199° N, 14.2716° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The bay stays shallow throughout, reaching no more than 15 m. Octopus and moray eels turn up across the bay, and the small cavern holds more life again; with luck a seahorse can be spotted there.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Macro critters
| 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.
Photos from Mgarr ix-Xini
Wolljuergen · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mrcrycrash · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Mgarr ix-Xini - Gozo October 2015 · DiveMonkey on YouTube
Sources
- www.scubago.com/en/explore/divesite/mgarr-ix-xini-146898 — www.scubago.com
- broadwaytravel.com scuba-diving-spots-in-malta — broadwaytravel.com
- maltadives.com/sites/mgarrixxini — maltadives.com
Photo credits
- A pale, brown-spotted seahorse with frilly skin filaments rests among dark, fine algae. by prilfish, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A flatfish lies on pale sand, its body edged by a fringe of fins and its eyes raised on top of its head. by Wolljuergen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A diver with a torch swims through a narrow, blue-lit cavern with rippled sand on its floor. by Mrcrycrash, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Hand-drawn sketch map of the Mgarr ix-Xini inlet with the shoreline, caves and depth marks in blue and the road in yellow. by Wolljuergen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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