Coral Cave can be found just left of the Blue Hole at Dwejra on Gozo’s west coast and it is one of Malta’s most spectacular submerged caverns. It has a huge spectacular semi-circular opening, a sandy bottom inside and a tumble of boulders directly in front of the entrance. This dive is suitable for experienced divers. It is very scenic and extremely photogenic. It lies between the Blue Hole and Roger’s cave, close to Dwejra reef and the chimney, and there are therefore several different routes divers may take.
Dwejra is a 20 minute drive from our dive shop. Coral Cave is a shore dive and access to it is through ‘Coral Garden’ to the left of the Blue Hole. It’s a 5 minute walk from the car park through an ancient quarry, a shallow valley bed and over some boulders. 2 sets of lightweight steps and a passage carved in the boulders make this trek easier.
Divers walk over uneven rocks into Coral Garden, a shallow, swimming pool like enclosure 20 metres or so across. Coral Garden is only about 4 metres deep. Divers access the open sea through a U shaped, window like opening and start descending to the left (south) on a steep wall that is actually the opening to Coral Cave. They carry on descending while entering the large, wide cavern where the sandy bottom slopes up to around 21 metres. Spectacular large burrowing Firework anemones (Cerianthus membranaceus) can be found here. The entrance to the cavern also has large numbers of quite rare marine goldfish (Anthias anthias).
There is no need to dive to the back of the cavern. Without any doubt, the most unforgettable part of this dive is when divers turn to appreciate the stunning view of the exit. The cavern’s sheer width, its height, its perfect curvature and the deep blue Mediterranean Sea is an unforgettable experience.
On exiting Coral cave divers often turn right (north) and follow a vertical wall which drops beyond 30 metres. This is home to Hermit crabs, Starfish, Tube worms and small, colourful Scorpion fish (Scorpaena notata). Painted comber (Serranus scriba), Wrasse and Damselfish are everywhere. Parrotfish feed on the wall while Amberjacks hunt in the blue. Bristle or Fireworms (Hermodice carunculata) are also prevalent.
Divers then start their ascent and the rest of the dive is spent exploring the cliff face to the north and the reef on both sides of the Chimney. They could then exit at Coral Garden or dive round to exit from the Blue Hole, doing their safety stop on the way.
Coral Garden and the area around the reefs are also excellent for snorkelling. Snorkellers get to see the colourful Dwejra reef, the sheer drop off and the abundant marine life.
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