Location of Site:
The northern corner of Xlendi Bay through the headland
Type of Dive: Shore dive
Condition:
Sheltered but busy with boat traffic
Average Depth: 6 metres
Maximum Depth: 25 metres
Certification Required:
BSAC Ocean Diver, PADI Open Water or equivalent.
The Dive:
This can be done either as a shore dive or as a boat dive. Drive into Xlendi Bay and stick to your left-hand side. You have to drive up the big hill in front of you and when you come to the top, park your car there. Here you will notice a flight of steps to the sea. This is where you jump in.
You can take a bearing straight out (or slightly towards the inner part of the bay) off the jetty to the cliff face ahead of you. Dive following this bearing or snorkel out to the opposite side. Follow this cliff face towards the open sea and eventually you will come to a large cave that leads all the way under the headland to the next bay. Your return journey could be either on a reciprocal bearing through the cave again, or the divers equipped with enough air could go back round the headland which is full of nice flora and fauna.
On the way to this cave, and also inside the cave, you are likely to find schools of red mullet, cardinal and damsel fish. Octopuses are not out of the ordinary either here. This is an excellent shallow dive for the experienced and also for the not so experienced cave diver. Please take care while crossing the bay, because of surface traffic.