Crocodile Rock is a crocodile-shaped, low lying rock just offshore midway between Fungus Rock and the Blue Hole at Dwejra on Gozo’s West coast. A round shallow plateau extends from land and drops off steeply at the rock. This is another of Malta’s best dive sites with varying depths and can be enjoyed by qualified divers of all levels. The boat anchors safely on the shallow plateau east of Crocodile rock. The plateau, 4 to 12 metres deep, has several deep fissures and cracks full of colourful anemones, coralites, sponges and a multitude of species of fish. The drop off is a steep wall that initially goes to 40 metres. Larger fish like barracuda, Amberjack, Grouper and Dentex are often spotted here. South of the rock is a square cut-out allowing divers to initially drop off gently to 18 metres.
Access to this dive site is by boat. With our purpose built dive boat, it’s a 10 minute fast boat ride from Xlendi Bay. The boat anchors safely on the large shallow plateau. A drift line or a shot line is dropped to facilitate access.
The St Andrew’s Divers Cove dive boat Divemania anchors at about 7 metres on the rocky reef between Crocodile Rock and the shore. This limestone rock platform has several cracks and delightful gullies to explore and the reef top is covered in numerous species of marine algae, including Padina povonia and Udotea petiolata.
Less experienced divers or those wanting a shallower, less strenuous dive can start their dive on the shallow plateau immediately beneath the boat’s dive platform before dropping down to 15 metres into the cut-out, a natural amphitheatre full of marine life on the left hand side of Crocodile Rock. It is common to witness Bonito Tunas or Amberjacks hunting here in the blue beyond the drop-off. Divers can then follow their instructor, staying no deeper than 18 metres on the walls to the left towards Fungus Rock or to the right, clockwise around the Crocodile Rock reef enjoying the marine growth on the wall and the fish hunting up and down the breath taking drop-off.
More highly qualified and more experienced divers often start the dive by dropping-off on the east and steeper side of Crocodile Rock before turning left and diving around Crocodile Rock counter clockwise. The wall is vertical. It is full of fissures and is covered in colourful Sponges, Anemones and Corallites. Shoals of Parrot Fish and Salema (Sarpa salpa) feed on the cliff face while Amberjack and Dentex hunt in the blue often offering divers an unforgettable spectacle. The wall initially drops straight down to 35 metres, then gives way to a steeply sloping seabed of huge algae-covered boulders. The dive continues anti clockwise around crocodile rock and over a second, even deeper drop-off, the home to larger Barracuda, Dentex and Grouper.
Divers then start a slow climb over large boulders towards the shallow plateau, passing through the spectacular amphitheatre and looking for eels, octopus, nudibranchs and other forms of marine life within the crevasses on the way.
Crocodile Rock’s shallow plateau is probably Gozo’s best place to do a safety stop. The depth is perfect. The boat is right above. It’s easy to spend several minutes slowly diving around the plateau’s many crevasses exploring all the tiny colourful creatures and along the wall edge looking out into the blue for fish hunting. Staying at a depth of 5 metres, divers often go round Crocodile Rock one last time before going back to the boat and ending the dive.
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