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Scuba Diving in Malta is considered the best diving in the Mediterranean. The Maltese islands are blessed with warm temperatures, even in winter, clear, unpolluted seas, with visibility underwater in excess of thirty metres. Hundreds of kilometres of coastline, many of which are still unexplored, make the Maltese archipelago a favourite with adventurous divers.

HMS ST. ANGELO

Auxiliary British Tug Built by Scott Bowling (150ft, 1935) and was used for harbour duties.  More commonly known as Tal-Bandiera, this vessel served as harbour transport for Royal Navy Officers carrying personnel from Fort St Angelo to other destinations. During the war it served other purposes, for rescue and later on as a minesweeper.

By 26 May 1942 the drifter EDDY was the only LL fitted minesweeper at Malta. On that day she was sunk by a shallow moored mine about a mile off the St. Elmo breakwater as she was returning to the Grand Harbour. Four days later 30th May 1942 the Oropesa sweeping Tug St. Angelo (An Oropesa is a streamlined towed body used in the process of minesweeping. The role of the Oropesa is to keep the towed sweep at a determined depth and position from the sweeping ship.) was mined about 3 quarters of a mile off Grand Harbour entrance with the loss of four of her crew.

Photos by Dmitry Vinogradov