San Dimitri is a small reef on Gozo’s North West corner past Dwejra and beneath the village Għarb. It’s a shallow plateau at the foot of impressive 80 metre high cliffs. The average depth on the reef is 6 metres, perfect for anchoring and starting / finishing the dive. The highlights of this dive are the scenery and a shoal of Barracuda and other fish species that are often spotted there. A number of large boulders lie on the seabed at a depth of 18 metres between the reef and the cliff face. A spectacular passage beneath these boulders is another great feature.
Access to this dive site is by boat, a 15 minute boat ride on St. Andrew’s Divers Cove’s dive boat Divemania. Views of the Inland Sea, the cliffs and Fungus Rock at Dwejra can be enjoyed on this trip.
The dive starts near the boat’s anchor on the shallow reef. Divers then drop off on either side of the reef and dive a semi-circle around it. Some prefer to start by going through the passage beneath the boulders between the reef and the cliff. Others go there at the end of the dive before starting their climb and safety stop.
Divers drop off the reef to about 20 metres to the south west then proceed deeper on a gentle slope covered in boulders of different size. They go past one house-sized rock before circling the reef clockwise. It is not usually necessary to dive deeper than 30 metres at San Dimitri.
Those who prefer a more gradual start may start their dive to the north, dropping off the reef initially from 6 to 10, then to 18 metres and start their anti-clockwise trek round San Dimitri reef at any depth they prefer. The slope is not steep and divers need to divide their attention between ‘hunting’ for marine life between the boulders and looking for larger fish in the blue all around them.
Throughout the entire dive, divers need to keep a watchful eye for big schools of Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) that often hang around here in the translucent blue water. It is also common to see Dentex and Grouper! Different species of rays are sometimes spotted at this dive site. The sides and under hangs of the boulders are generally free of algae and host a variety of marine invertebrate life. A rich mixture of Sponges, Sea Squirts, Worms and Star Fish are also found on and around the boulders on this dive site.
Before returning to the boat anchored on the shallow reef, a zigzag through the boulders at 18 metres on the inner side of the reef is a must. This swim-through is spectacular, an opportunity to take some lovely pictures of the shoals of bright orange cardinal fish that live there with the deep blue Mediterranean Sea as a back drop. The reef’s depth, its colours and flourishing marine life make the safety stop a complete pleasure.
This shallow reef is also excellent for snorkelling.
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